Chương 28: Chapter 28 - A Reincarnator From My Era?
Alright, here's the scoop. Right after that, when Nee-san was dragging little bro somewhere for who-knows-what, I kinda reluctantly stepped in and vouched for Anos.
Now we're in my room, me and Anos sitting on the floor in seiza, and Nee-san posted up on the bed, arms crossed, legs crossed, giving us the death stare from up high.
"So... you're telling me that this pervert right here is our supposed 'younger sibling'? Cid, you absolutely sure your brain hasn't taken a hit or something?"
"..."
"..."
Pervert?
I turned my head slowly to glance at Anos, and he did the same, meeting my gaze. He then let out a little 'Ahem' and looked away in a hurry.
Hold on a sec, really, bro? Oh, come on, man, cut me some slack from this whole weird vibe. I seriously didn't expect him to go down the incest route. Ugh, should I introduce him to Alpha or the girls?
After a few awkward moments of silence, I finally cleared my throat, breaking the tension. "L-Look, Nee-san, I know it sounds insane, but... there's actually a reasonable explanation for all this."
She raised an eyebrow, her skepticism practically shouting. "Reasonable explanation? You better spill it now, Cid."
I scratched my head, buying time as I searched for the right words. Anos was suddenly super interested in the pattern of the floor, like it was the most captivating thing ever.
"W-Well, it's like this... Anos-kun here, he's, uh, not exactly your run-of-the-mill guy. There's some... seriously complicated stuff in the mix. But believe me, he's not what you might think."
Nee-san's expression was a blend of confusion and impatience. "Complicated stuff? What's that even supposed to mean?"
I sighed, realizing I was just digging a deeper hole. But there was no turning back now. "I-I don't understand everything right now, but the truth is, he's really our biological sibling. He just... used this insanely complex and ancient magical thing to grow up really fast."
She didn't look convinced at all, her arms folding across her chest. "Cid, you better not be making this up just to mess with me."
I shook my head vigorously. "N-No way, Nee-san! I wouldn't mess with you about something like this! I'm dead serious."
Anos finally lifted his gaze from the floor, his crimson eyes meeting the equally crimson eyes of Nee-san. "He's not lying. I know it's a stretch for this era's humans, but—"
*Ting*
"Enough with your smooth talk, pervert," Nee-san interrupted him as she suddenly drew her sword, her voice sharp and eyes narrowed. "I don't know what game you're playing with us, but I won't fall for it."
Anos raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, looking both amused and nonchalant despite the sword aimed at him. "No games, I promise. Cid is telling the truth, as absurd as it may sound."
Nee-san's grip on the sword tightened, but she seemed to be at least considering the possibility. She turned to me, her expression demanding more answers. "Cid, you better have evidence for this."
I scratched my head, a bit nervous under her scrutiny. "U-Umm… I mean, I don't have concrete 'evidence,' but Anos-kun has shown me things that are beyond ordinary human capability. And the way he just took Nee-san's lethal punch earlier like it was nothing, that's not something a regular person could do."
Nee-san's gaze shifted back to Anos, and she seemed to be analyzing him. "Fine, let's say I 'believe you'. But that doesn't change the fact that this pervert over here violated my privacy and saw me naked!"
...violated...naked—"Wait, what?!" I quickly turned to Anos, just in time to catch his totally surprised look.
"I beg your pardon?" His voice held an undeniable shock. "I implore you, dear sister, refrain from fabricating such falsehoods. As I've already clarified before, my intention was to teleport to our brother Cid's room. The presence of you changing undergarments there was an unforeseen occurrence."
...my room? ...undergarments?
Nee-san's face turned an interesting shade of red as she realized the implications of what Anos had just said. She lowered her sword slightly, her irritation now mixed with confusion and embarrassment. Anos, on the other hand, seemed to be completely oblivious to the situation he had inadvertently created.
"Teleporting? What in the world are you talking about?" Nee-san's voice wavered between incredulity and bewilderment.
Anos nodded earnestly. "Indeed, my sister. I understand that the concept might be difficult to accept, but I assure you that my actions were not driven by any ill intentions.."
Nee-san's skepticism only seemed to intensify. She stared at Anos, clearly torn between irritation and the sheer absurdity of the situation. "This is beyond ridiculous. First, the news that I have a 'magically aged' younger brother, and now you're trying to convince me that teleportation is real?"
I saw an opportunity to try and defuse the tension a bit. "W-Well, Nee-san, I know this is a lot to take in, but at least now you know I wasn't joking about the whole sibling thing."
She shot me a pointed look. "Don't think you're off the hook either, Cid. You're going to explain everything to me, in detail, once we're done here."
Anos coughed discreetly. "I deeply apologize for the misunderstanding, dear sister. If there's anything I can do to make amends for my unintended intrusion, please let me know."
Nee-san sheathed her sword, but her skepticism was still evident. "Just... just be more careful with your… 'teleportation' next time. And as for you, Cid, you have a lot of explaining to do. But not here. Let's move this conversation somewhere else."
I nodded in agreement. "S-Sure, Nee-san. We'll explain everything. I promise."
With a cautious look at Anos, Nee-san turned and headed toward the door, gesturing for us to follow. As Anos and I stood up and trailed behind her, I couldn't help but secretly exchange a glance with him.
"Man, you suck."
"..."
"Dude, that was seriously lame. What the fuck are you doing?"
"...what was she doing in your—"
"I don't know, don't care, and don't want to know."
"...fair enough."
—--------------------------------------------
"I know it's hard to believe, but it's true. Our family ancestors have been blessed with vast magical powers for past generations and they possessed the knowledge of a forbidden spell that could accelerate the growth of a person. I just happened to be the one to inherit them in this present generation and used that spell, and well, you can see the result."
We had moved from my room and found ourselves at a cozy coffee shop named Mitsugoshi Café, which seemed like a good place for a conversation. The air inside was filled with the comforting aroma of freshly brewed coffee and baked goods. We settled into a corner booth, where Nee-san's skepticism still hung thick in the air.
Hmm? Since when has this world had café? As I was thinking about that, I began explaining what Anos had just summarized
"Nee-san, I know this is a lot to take in, but it's all true. Our ancestors possessed powerful magic, and somehow that magic has been passed down to Anos-kun. We discovered this when he accidentally aged himself with that spell."
Nee-san's gaze shifted between us, her skepticism slowly giving way to curiosity. "Forbidden spell? Accelerated growth? Are you saying you went from a baby to... this?"
Anos nodded, his curious eyes couldn't help looking around the coffee shop. "Yes. I understand how absurd it sounds, but I had my reasons. I needed to become stronger quickly to protect the ones I care about."
There was a tense pause as Nee-san continued to assess us, her arms slowly uncrossing. "So, what? You're some sort of magical prodigy?"
Anos chuckled, a smile forming on his face. "I wouldn't say 'prodigy,' but I've been fortunate enough to have talent and resources that most people don't. And I've been training relentlessly to make the most of it."
Nee-san's gaze softened a bit, and her crossed legs relaxed. "And Cid vouches for all of this?"
I nodded eagerly. "Y-Yeah, I mean, at first even I had a hard time believing it, but... Anos even saved me from execution. You saw it too Nee-san, he's shown us things that are way beyond ordinary."
She sighed, her arms uncrossing completely now. "This is just... a lot to take in, you know? Suddenly having a 'younger brother' who has abilities I can't even fathom."
Anos nodded sympathetically. "I understand how overwhelming this must be. I didn't intend for things to turn out like this, but I'm here now so take all the time you need. And I'll do whatever it takes to earn your trust."
Nee-san's gaze softened even more, and she looked down at her lap, lost in thought. After a few moments, she finally spoke, her voice tinged with a mix of emotions. "Alright, fine. I'll give you a chance, Anos. But just know that I'll be watching you closely."
Anos smiled, a genuine expression that seemed to put her at ease. "Thank you, dear sister. I won't let you down."
I breathed a sigh of relief, grateful that she was at least willing to hear us out. It was a crazy situation, no doubt, and it was going to take time for things to settle. But at least we were on the right track.
Nee-san uncrossed her legs and stood up from her seat, stretching her arms above her head. "Well, now that we've got that sorted, I need some time to process all of this. And I expect both of you to be on your best behavior."
Anos and I both nodded in agreement. "Of course, Nee-san," I said.
She then smirked playfully. "And Anos-chan, no more weird 'perverted' stuff, got it?"
Anos blinked, a bit surprised by the way she called him. "Don't worry, I will make sure it will never happen again. My apologies for the misunderstanding, dear sister."
As Nee-san finally left the Café, I let out a long exhale. "Well, somehow that went way better than I expected."
Anos chuckled. "Indeed. Thank you for stepping in and explaining things, Cid. I appreciate your support."
I shrugged, giving him a friendly grin. "We're in this together now, right? We'll figure it out."
Anos leaned back in the booth, looking pensive for a moment before his expression shifted to one of seriousness. "You're right, Cid. We'll navigate through this. But remember, it's not just about convincing our sister. There's a bigger picture here, it's imperative that we prevent Claire from unearthing our real identities. If that were to happen, she'd undoubtedly be thrust into harm's way."
His words made me roll my eyes. "Says the guy who's a freaking last-boss character. Damn, we've got our hands full with family dynamics and secret identities. At least we're not battling heroes trying to defeat us for the fate of the world yet."
Anos raised an eyebrow and chuckled softly. "True, our situation is a bit less dramatic than usual, but it's no less complicated. We might not have holy-sword-wielding heroes chasing our tails right now, but we do have our fair share of little challenges."
The waitress approached our table, interrupting our conversation to take our orders. As we waited for our drinks, I glanced out of the café's window, lost in thought. "You know, Anos, I can't help but wonder about the origins of your insane magic. It's such a powerful and complicated system, it must have some deeper history or something."
"Hmm? My magic?"
"Yep, dude. I've also been on a nonstop hunt in my previous life to catch even a tiny clue about it, but it's been a total bust." I grumbled in frustration, conjuring a purple magical circle above my palm, a small flame sitting atop it.
This flame then expanded and transformed into a stick figure made of fire, launching into the iconic Gangnam Style dance. Anos who saw that was utterly taken aback, his eyes widening, and his posture slightly stiffening.
"...So, you're a fellow reincarnate from my era, then?"
"Huh? Wasn't that obvious?"
"Well, perhaps. But your lack of trepidation in the face of my title, The Demon King of Tyranny, gave me pause."
"Pft! Hahaha, nice one."
"?"
Amidst my laughter at Anos' jest, the waitress reappeared, presenting our drinks. Anos opted for black coffee, while I selected coffee with milk.
"Well, we can save that chat for later. Let's just enjoy our drinks before they go cold."
"Indeed, a wise idea."
With our drinks now before us, we exchanged appreciative nods and raised our cups in a silent toast before taking sips. The rich aroma of the coffee mingled with the comfortable ambiance of the café, creating a moment of tranquility amidst our shared inquiries.
Tình trạng nguồn điện hàng tuần
-- Xếp hạng
Quyền lực 
-- Đá
Quyền lực