At the same time that Orihara's HP reached 0 and he collapsed, my strength went out and I sat down on the spot. I used all my strength in that last combo, so I would need to rest for a while.
"Well, I guess I lost after all. What a shame." (Shindo)
His HP reached 0 and although he was supposed to be dead, Orihara started speaking to me normally.
"Why are you still alive..." (Shindo)
"No, I'm properly dead. Look, my HP is at 0, right?" (Orihara)
"Then just die quietly. Why are you talking normally?" (Shindo)
Orihara was lying on his back with 0 HP, his body was in tatters from the battle. However, his mouth was moving as usual.
"It's not a big deal. Since I was fighting you, Shindo, so it's only natural that I'll lose. So, it makes sense to prepare for what happens if I lose and die." (Orihara)
"...Well, that's quite surprising for you, Orihara." (Shindo)
HP-wise he was definitely dead, but I couldn't help but feel convinced that it was Orihara. I could also revive the dead with Ankh, created by Sakura. What was so strange about Orihara being able to do something similar? I felt like I had been poisoned by Orihara to a large extent as well—
"That's right. Such silly little tricks are of no importance. More importantly, Shindo why were you able to defeat me despite me having superior stats? Please tell me the answer." (Orihara)
"...Try taking a look at my status." (Shindo)
"Eh?... Ah, I see, so that means I'll lose, right?" (Orihara)
Orihara checked my status and was convinced. This time, my status was higher than Orihara's. There was only a slight difference between us to begin with, so it was only natural that the outcome of the battle would be reversed if our statuses were reversed.
"But that's strange, isn't it? You shouldn't be able to receive abilities from your subordinates yet..." (Orihara)
Orihara muttered, "I took great care to make sure it couldn't be done." Orihara was careful to avoid any unnecessary interference in the battle. As I said before, this other world was convenient in every way.
"That’s about the status I’ve already given to my subordinates, right? Originally, the status I give to my subordinates is distributed through me once. And that function itself wasn’t disabled even in the other world." (Shindo)
Right at this time, in the origin world[1], my subordinates were in the middle of hunting monsters with all their might. As soon as I came to this world, I confirmed that the effect had been nullified, so just to be on the safe side, I asked Maria to hunt monsters as much as she could. After that, leaving only the bare minimum of personnel, almost everyone went out to hunt monsters, and the status they had stolen from me through the shared [Power of Life and Death] was all concentrated on me.
It took a while, but my stats continued to flow during my long conversation with Orihara, and by focusing my efforts on defense and buying myself some time, I was able to somehow surpass Orihara. It was an unexpected surprise that the constant flow of status updates had caused my body to lose its senses, resulting in me taking more unnecessary hits— I was confident in my ability to adapt, but it was impossible to react instantly during high-speed combat. Or rather, I have to go to such lengths to win. That guy, Orihara, is...
"I completely misread it. As expected, special abilities are difficult to handle. There seems to be a limit to how much I can understand by only taking away a part of it. This is something I will have to work on in the future..." (Orihara)
"Even though you're dead, you still care about what happens next?" (Shindo)
"Yes. Isn't it a necessary highlight for a character who is supposed to be dead to make a reappearance?" (Orihara)
He's the same as always, acting according to logic that is understandable, but also that I don't want to understand...
"But in most cases, that's the privilege of those who don't know if they're dead or not, right? Being so completely dead, can you really fulfill that role?" (Shindo)
"It's okay. From now, I'll make it so you can't tell if I'm dead or not." (Orihara)
"……how?" (Shindo)
I asked, feeling a bad feeling about the way Orihara spoke.
"Of course, it was suicide. A character who commits suicide is basically considered to be dead or alive." (Orihara)
"Can you explode?" (Shindo)
"I can" (Orihara)
Orihara said without hesitation.
".........Of course I'll avoid it." (Shindo)
"You're not going to stubbornly run away, are you?" (Orihara)
"Of course. Don't say that even if you know it." (Shindo)
"That's true." (Orihara)
I hate running away. Even though he was an old friend, Orihara, who had known me for a long time, should know that. And by my definition, this incident fell into the category of "avoiding" rather than "running away".
I had decided that "running away" is a word to use when speaking with someone of equal or higher rank, while "avoiding" is a word to use when speaking with someone of lower rank, a meaningless word.
Let me give you a specific example. For example, let's say there is a shogi title holder. There will be many people who want to challenge him. However, he has the right to "avoid" most of those challenges. Because most people cannot prove that they are of the same rank as him. In other words, he cannot "run away" from a fight with a person of the same rank who has won and qualified to play (running away would result in a forfeit).
For example, "dodging" an attack during a fight, or "dodging" a puddle of muddy water while wearing new shoes, would not be called "running away." Of course, being attacked and getting your shoes dirty are both meaningless.
This time, it would be clearly pointless to let Orihara self-destruct, so I would avoid it.
"Oh, don't worry. I'll self-destruct after Shindo leaves this place. Since we're here, let's talk a bit more." (Orihara)
"No, I'm tired so let me rest. Why are you the one who lost and still looks energetic..." (Shindo)
Even though he was supposed to be dead, I was put off by Orihara's unnecessarily aggressive attitude.
"In fact, being dead is what frees me from the physical burden. After all, your body doesn't get tired when you're dead. ...But it would be a nuisance if a character who lost and died kept filling up the pages. Understood. I'll self-destruct in 30 seconds." (Orihara)
"That was quick!" (Shindo)
Orihara declared that he was going to commit suicide, so I quickly left the place. I was very tired, so I used [Flash Step] skill to somehow gain a distance of about 10km.
"Is it okay if we get this far?" (Shindo)
It's been about 30 seconds, there's no way Orihara would lie in that situation, so it's probably really going to explode.
—BOOOOOOM!!!!!!—
Exactly 30 seconds later, there was a thunderous roar and an explosion of flames spread from the area where Orihara was standing. Although the blast did not reach me, a very strong wind blew in the aftermath. Every now and then a building came flying at me, so I deflected it with my back fist. What on earth could cause such a powerful self-destruct?
After the explosion subsided, a crater with a radius of about 5km was formed around the location where Orihara had been. There was not even a trace of Orihara's body left. ...Is this a declaration of "I'll come again"?
It caused me a lot of extra trouble until the end, but for now the battle with Orihara was over. I laid down on the spot because I was so tired.
Now that the battle with Orihara was over, I must tell my subordinates to stop supplying status. If I didn't stop them, they would just keep fighting forever. That would be a shame.
(Maria, the battle is over, so you can stop gaining status from monster hunting.) (Shindo → Jin)
(Jin-sama! Are you safe?) (Maria)
While lying down, I spoke to Maria telepathically, and she listened to me in a loud voice (will).
(Ah, I'm safe.) (Jin)
(I'm glad.... I'm really glad....) (Maria)
She must be crying. Maria's voice had started to become nasal, and she repeatedly murmured how glad she was.
(Maria, please contact everyone else.) (Jin)
(*Sniff*... Yes, right now.) (Maria)
With that said, Maria stopped the telepathy for a moment.
(Master, good job. Looks like you finished safely, didn't you?) (Mio)
(Master!) (Dora)
(I'm glad to hear you're safe. You won, right?) (Sera)
While Maria had turned off the telepathic communication, Mio and the others started to contact me. The fact that Sera was with Mio and Dora probably meant that Sakura's battle was over.
(Of course I won. …So, is it over for Sakura?) (Jin)
(Yes, my battle is over... I'll talk to you once things have calmed down...) (Sakura)
(No, if you don't want to talk, you don't have to.) (Jin)
I was curious, but I didn't want to force myself to ask. As long as Sakura could make a decision, that was all that matters.
(I'll tell you... No, I want you to listen...) (Sakura)
(…Okay. I'll ask you once this has settled down.) (Jin)
If you want to talk, then I'll listen. Sakura's tone of voice didn't become gloomy, so things probably weren't going in such a bad direction —Since she possessed the bullies' Blessings, it was easy to guess how the story would end.
(So, Master, is there any prospect of you being able to return here?) (Mio)
(Ah, I did get a hint, but I still don't know the exact details. I won't be able to come back for a while. I'm sorry, but I'll leave it to you in the meantime. I have a lot of things left to do.) (Jin)
I gave vague answers to Mio's questions. I got some hints from Orihara, but I didn't know how long it would actually take.
I was worried that there were a few things I still had left undone because I was suddenly transported. Things like the war with Eldia and the two demons of the Four Heavenly Kings. I was thinking things would work out without me, but I wanted them to deal with the situation properly.
And while I wanted to return as soon as possible, I also wanted to explore this world a bit. After all, since it was on the verge of disappearing, there was a limit to the amount of time I could look around.
(Okay. Leave that to me.) (Sera?)
(Yes, please) (Jin)
(Um... Jin-kun, can I talk to you for a second...?) (Sakura)
(Sakura, what's wrong?) (Jin)
Sakura awkwardly interrupted the conversation.
(Maria-chan has gone to Jin-kun's side...) (Sakura)
(Huh? How?) (Jin)
When we're talking about not being able to travel between this world and the other, I was not sure how to respond when I heard that Maria was coming over to me.
(It seems she used [Infinite Storage].... [Infinite Storage] hasn't been disabled, right?) (Sakura)
(Ah, it works without any problems. It seems I can take out anything I put in there. ...Ah) (Jin)
When I checked the contents of [Infinite Storage], to my surprise, I found the word "Maria (Frozen)" inside. It was true that even living things could be placed inside [Infinite Storage] as long as they were frozen or petrified.
If she were to freeze in the other world and then enter [Infinite Storage], I could take her out and thaw her here. But no matter what, freezing herself of her own accord and then entering [Infinite Storage] without any hesitation would be insane—
(Oh, I checked... Yes, I'll defrost her here.) (Jin)
(Please take care of her……)
I ended the telepathy, forced my tired body to get up, and took out "Maria (Frozen)" from [Infinite Storage]. In addition, I took out the unfreezing item and use it on "Maria (frozen)". There was no such opening in the fight with Orihara, but it seemed recovery items could be used with the same effect in this world as well. After being thawed, Maria regained consciousness and knelt in front of me.
"I have come to accompany you, Jin-sama. Please, let me be by your side! Of course, if you cannot forgive me for failing to fulfill my duty as your guardian, you are free to discard me!" (Maria)
"We've been together for a long time, and you know that's not what I want, right? I have no intention of abandoning you, and I'll allow you to stay by my side." (Jin)
"...I am deeply grateful for Jin-sama's generous generosity." (Maria)
I thought she was kneeling, but before I knew it, she was prostrating herself.
"...By the way, Jin-sama, can I ask you one thing?" (Maria)
"Hmm? What is it?" (Jin)
"...Why are you not wearing any clothes?" (Maria)
"Oh, come to think of it, I completely forgot... I guess it's about time I put it on properly." (Jin)
Yes, to be honest, I was currently half-naked with only [Wings of The Immortal] wrapped around my waist. I didn't know what to hide, or rather, it seemed like there was almost nothing to hide.
The reason why I was making the cat-eared girl kneel down in only a loincloth (that sounds really bad), was simply because my clothes flew off during the fight with Orihara. The battle between me and Orihara was a battle of super speed and super power. There was no way that normal clothes could withstand it. It was only natural that the clothes would tear and go flying away. By the way, Orihara's school uniform somehow remained intact until the end. It was in tatters, but it still had its original shape. I wonder what he did to it? And so, when I left Orihara, I barely managed to wrap the [Wings of The Immortal] around my waist. After all, even I didn't want to run through the city naked.
I took my clothes out of [Infinite Storage] and quickly changed into them. No, Maria, you don't have to help me!
After getting dressed, we drank some tea brewed by Maria and took a short rest.
After taking a leisurely 10-minute rest, I felt much better, both physically and mentally. The fight with Orihara was always on edge, so it was mentally exhausting.
"Should we start taking action now?" (Jin)
"What are you planning to do from now on?" (Maria)
Ah, I haven't explained that to Maria yet. I explained the gist of what I had heard from Orihara, but I didn't actually tell her what I would be doing.
"I'm going to find the center of this world in order to get out of it. To do that, I'm going to go see the edge of the world first." (Jin)
"Are you going to the edges to find the center?" (Maria)
"Yeah, I hear this world is collapsing from the edges, so I don't think it would hurt to take a look... both as a tourist spot and to get a rough idea of where the center is." (Jin)
If we could figure out the edges, we might be able to figure out the overall shape of the world. It wouldn't hurt to know the speed and circumstances of the collapse.
"Jin-sama, you're so keen to go sightseeing even though you've been sent to a collapsing world..." (Maria)
"In fact, it's the opposite. It's precisely because it's going to collapse that we want to do some sightseeing before that happens." (Jin)
The collapse meant that the chances of seeing it would be limited. I had a hard time when I was told it's for a limited time.
"I really wish you'd stop doing such dangerous things, but if that's what you want, Jin-sama, then I have no choice. This time, I'll do my best to protect you." (Maria)
"Yeah, I'll leave it to you." (Jin)
Logically speaking, there's no way that Maria would be outwitted unless she was up against Orihara. But I guess that Orihara guy would probably come again...
While I was thinking about this and watching Maria clear away the tea (Refused my help), I received a message from Alta for the first time in a long time.
[Master, sorry for the long wait. We've finished supporting this world.] (Alta)
That was longer than I thought it would be. What was taking up all that time?
[I tried to make it possible to use as many of the abilities that are not available in this world as possible. It took a particularly long time to enable all of the functions of Power of Life and Death.] (Alta)
Normally, if one wanted to defeat Orihara, who had superior stats, the easiest thing to do would be to directly steal Orihara's stats. However, the truth was that [Power of Life and Death] had also been malfunctioning since coming to this world. Specifically, it had downgraded to [Power of Life and Death Lv1]
Originally, the level 1 effect of [Power of Life and Death] was to gradually steal status from an enemy at a distance of 2m. There was no way I could afford to do that in the middle of a battle with Orihara. It would be better if the effect of stealing from a long distance remained, but that was not always the case. Furthermore, this level down was only applicable when used in this world, so my subordinates were able to use the high-level [Power of Life and Death] as is.
As a side note, because [Power of Life and Death] was only at level 1, I was unable to steal any status from the dead Orihara. At that point, I couldn't wait for Alta to return, so I just defeated him, but to be honest, I had a bad feeling about the fact that Orihara's status remained the same. ...Let's stop thinking about Orihara. He'll be what he's meant to be.
Hmm... So, Alta, are all of my special abilities usable now?
[Most of your abilities will be usable as before, but the help and map functions are not compatible with this world and their abilities are limited. As for the map, only information about the area you are currently in will be displayed with restrictions] (Alta)
Of all things, why are there restrictions on the special abilities that could help us escape this world...?
When I checked the map, the information displayed was less than half of what it had been up until now. There was no information about neighboring areas, and the information about the area we were currently in was missing, and the area we were currently in was not even displayed in its entirety. It was quite narrow. It was not so unusable, but the information I could get was a world apart compared to before.
[I apologize. It's not a replacement though, but Master, I would like to send you a device to support you. Please use it if necessary.] (Alta)
A device? ......Ah, I remember about making Alta's Device using Oni God's Substitute. Is it finished?
[Yes. To be precise, I completed it when you were fighting the Four Heavenly Kings in Eldia, but I was so busy that I didn't have a chance to talk about it.] (Alta)
Certainly, after fighting Four Heavenly Kings, I was attacked by Orihara just as we were trying to retrieve the royal family. There was no opportunity for Alta to talk about the device.
[The device is not a living thing, so it can be placed in [Infinite Storage]. If you take it out, it will start up immediately.] (Alta)
Hmm, let's try taking it out first. I took out Alta's Device from my personal space in [Infinite Storage].
A woman (or something like it) in her 20s came out wearing a black suit (with a tight skirt underneath). Alta had an image of being a manager or secretary, so it was a perfect fit.
Perhaps to look Japanese, she had black hair that was cut short and just above her shoulders. However, how should I put it... although her face is beautiful, it is ordinary for a Japanese person. It doesn't have any distinctive features, or how should I put it... Her eyes are closed as if she is sleeping now.... she stands upright and motionless.
"Jin-sama, what on earth is this?" (Maria)
Maria asked after she had finished cleaning up.
"It's Alta's Device. She said it would start up when I took it out..." (Jin)
Just as I said that, Alta's Device opened its eyes. As I expected, the eyes were black.
"Master, the startup sequence has been completed. I look forward to working with you in the future." (Alta)
She straightened her posture and bowed mechanically.
"It looks like a robot..." (Jin)
"Master, it seems to be something similar." (Alta)
"It feels strange to hear Alta talking normally, doesn't it?" (Jin)
The whole conversation with Alta had been telepathic in my head, so I felt a little uneasy.
"Master, if you wish, I can change the tone of my speech pattern. What do you think?" (Alta)
"It's fine as is" (Jin)
Since I was going to have a robot girl with me, there's probably no need for any further attributes. If Alta had too many attributes, it would be extremely difficult to handle.
"Master, to call this 'robot-daughter' is not correct for this action device. This action device can also be changed to a male form." (Alta)
"Seriously? ...If you can change it right away, can you give it a try?" (Jin)
"Master, that's possible, but the clothes won't be changed. Is that okay?" (Alta)
"...Then, maybe next time." (Jin)
I had no interest in admiring men wearing women's suits. In fact, I didn't even want to see them. I didn't want to see Alta's male form in exchange for such a huge price.
"The stats are all set pretty high. Is this device designed for combat?" (Jin)
"Yes, Master. This action device is designed to be capable of combat as well. However, it is clearly weaker than Master and Maria, and I'm not sure how useful it will be in combat in this world. If anything, since the map won't work, I'd like to use it to get in front of you and sense the presence or absence of danger." (Alta)
"Are you treating it like a decoy?" (Jin)
A black company where a secretary's first job is to be a decoy.
Since we were in an unfamiliar place and the map was limited, we needed to be more careful with our actions than ever before. In that sense, it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to use Alta's non-living device as a decoy to go ahead. I felt a little pathetic though...
"Also, since there is only one Alta's Device, if there is a risk that it could break, you can only use it properly once, right?" (Jin)
"Master, even if it is damaged, it can be regenerated if there are damaged remains. Additionally, it does have a function to avoid crises, at least to a certain extent. However, unfortunately, it also has a drawback. It is powered by magic power (MP), which cannot be supplied in this world, so it cannot act independently for long periods of time." (Alta)
Magic could be used in this world. The reason for this was that this world lacked magical power. Or, more accurately, it would be more accurate to say that magic power did not propagate. If you could not alter the magic powers around you, you could not use magic. However, that did not mean that you would lose the magical power you originally possess.
"So then, what about charging it? And what is the best way to avoid a crisis?" (Jin)
"Master, you will return to the other world via [Infinite Storage]. This can also be used to avoid danger when acting alone." (Alta)
When I asked her what she would do to avoid the crisis, she answered that I would enter [Infinite Storage]. Apparently, this device could activate [Infinite Storage] and enter [Infinite Storage]. In other words, it was possible to perform a trick such as storing myself in [Infinite Storage]. However, it seemed impossible to get out of [Infinite Storage] on my own.
In other words, I would enter [Infinite Storage] myself, had me sent out to my subordinates, and then after providing it with magic power, I entered [Infinite Storage] again and then either I or Maria would take it out. This seemed to be the basic flow of it.
"I remember something similar a while ago..."
After freezing her, Maria apparently had Lucia store her in [Infinite Storage]. This was also true for Maria, but for now it seemed the only way to enter this world was via [Infinite Storage].
"Jin-sama, I was thinking. Is it possible to return Jin-sama to the origin world using the same method? It may be presumptuous of me, but if I can freeze you and move you via [Infinite Storage], at the very least Jin-sama will be able to return." (Maria)
"Ah, unfortunately, it seems I can’t enter [Infinite Storage]. How can I put it, it’s like getting into your own pocket… no, more like swallowing yourself whole? I don’t like the analogy of Orihara, but…" (Jin)
I bet he could swallow himself whole. Or rather, to say that he could be "swallowed up by his own shadow" means that you can swallow yourself up. Maybe when he explodes...
"I see, that's unfortunate. I was hoping that at least Jin-sama could escape..." (Maria)
"Well, to begin with, I can't do something pathetic like leaving Maria or Alta (the device) and going back by myself. Besides, I don't want you to forget the purpose of our trip, which is sightseeing." (Jin)
"...That's right. Jin-sama wanted to explore this world, right?" (Maria)
The first objective was to explore this world, and the second objective was to escape. Well, strictly speaking, the first objective was to "find a way to escape." If I didn't know how to escape from this world, I wouldn't be able to enjoy sightseeing in peace.
"That's what I'm saying... Now then, it's not good to keep talking forever, so let's get going this time." (Jin)
"Yes, as Jin-sama commands." (Maria)
"Master, which direction are you heading? I'll go ahead." (Alta)
What she said earlier about Alta's Device checking whether there was a crisis or not seemed to be serious.
"Actually, there's no need to go out of your way to do something like that..." (Jin)
"Master, please. Let me do it. Let me take responsibility for not being able to restore the map." (Alta)
Alta (the device) stared at me with cold eyes. It's not really Alta's fault that the map isn't usable though.
"Well, Alta's Device has a time limit for how long you can use it, right? You shouldn't use it pointlessly. If you get a bad feeling about, you'll use it, so wait until then." (Jin)
"Master, even so, please let me go ahead at first. I want to gather as much information about this world as possible." (Alta)
It was true that we had an overwhelming lack of information about this world. It was true that if Alta were to gather the information, that would be the most reliable option.
"…Okay. If that makes you happy, then do as you like." (Jin)
"Thank you very much, Master" (Alta)
"So, which direction should we head to now...? Our first objective is to find the end of this world, so... hmm, that way." (Jin)
First of all, I looked around and point in the direction I thought it was. Since I didn't have a map, I didn't know which direction was north, south, east or west. For reference, considering the direction I was facing when I was teleported, it was northeast. From now on, I would tentatively use that idea to refer to directions.
"Understood. I will go ahead." (Alta)
"Wait. For now, it’s hard to tell the difference between Alta and Alta's Device, so I think I’ll give that device a name too." (Jin)
"Thank you very much, Master." (Alta)
Alta nodded. She seemed surprisingly enthusiastic about the idea.
"Yeah, that's right... How about Vega? I chose it to match Alta's name." (Jin)
This was the Japanese Tanabata, the story of Orihime and Hikoboshi. It was definitely not Orihara. Since Hikoboshi was named after Alta and had a connection to Alta, I thought I would give the female device a name Orihime, or Vega. To be honest, she was playing two roles—
"Master, thank you very much. I will be off then." (Alta)
"Yeah, be careful." (Jin)
And so, Alta's Device, Vega, sped off at high speed in a northeasterly direction. In this world, [Flying] skills could not be used, so travel was by foot. If only [Flying] could be used, it would be possible to summon the Sky Dragon (Blue) and travel in the sky, but it was unfortunate.
After watching Alta—or rather, Vega—ran off, we headed off in a northeasterly direction.
"Vega is ahead of us, so I think we'll take it slow for a while." (Jin)
"Yes. Understood." (Maria)
If we rushed too much, we would catch up with Vega. Well, even though I say "slowly," I'm still moving faster than a normal car. After all, if you just walk normally, there's no way to know how long it will take to reach the end of the world...
As I ran alongside Maria, I observed the world a little more. We had been traveling for over 10 minutes at a speed faster than a car, but the scenery never changed. Whether we looked to the right or to the left, there were only buildings. I tried taking a big jump, and it seemed the buildings were spread out over more than a few kilometers.
We got a little boring to keep driving through the same unchanging scenery. One of the reasons why we got bored was that everything we saw was gray.
"Jin-sama, is this really not the world you were in? It's just as I heard from Mio-chan..." (Maria)
Maria seemed to be interested in Earth, or rather, "the world I was in," and often asked Mio to tell her about Earth. Even from Maria's point of view, this world was just like Earth. Certainly, this world was very similar to my original world, but it was definitely not my original world.
"That's for sure. There are a few reasons, but the biggest difference is that." (Jin)
Saying that, I pointed upwards. There were two moons shining in the sky, a red moon and a blue moon.
"There is only one moon in my world. And it is not that color. …But, in that case, isn’t that a valid argument when the whole world is gray right now?" (Jin)
Although almost everything in this world was grey, the moons asserted themselves as red and blue. The sky was gray, so I couldn't tell if it was day or night. I could assume it was night because there were moons, but I was not sure if that was reliable.
"Besides, even if this was my original Earth, there's nothing I can do if it's been completely destroyed like this. There'll just be no need to find a way back." (Jin)
"That's right. I'm sorry. I asked an unnecessary question." (Maria)
If this is my original world, and it had been destroyed, then there's no need to go to places like the Elven hidden village to search for a way back to my original world. Of course, I'll go there for sightseeing, but... Thinking that, then I suddenly remembered Orihara's words.
"...No, now that I think about it, Orihara said this is the third world. So, this is definitely not Earth after all." (Jin)
"Jin-sama, these are the words of your enemies, aren't they? Should you believe them?" (Maria)
"Yeah, Orihara isn't the kind of guy to lie in that situation. If he lies during the explanation phase, he'll lose his value as an explanatory character." (Jin)
There was no way that Orihara would do something that would ruin his character. Basically, he was faithful to the template. Oh, and I should say in advance that I was not praising him.
"The more I hear about it, the more I don't understand your relationship, you see" (Maria)
"Yeah." (Jin)
After hearing what I said, Maria tilted her head.
If I were asked to describe my relationship with Orihara in one word, I would be at a loss. It annoyed me when people said I understood him, but we had known each other for a long time so I kind of get it.
"He was your childhood friend, right? Were you sure it was okay to kill him?" (Maria)
"...Ah, I didn't tell you, Maria. He's probably still alive. He won't be destroyed so easily." (Jin)
"Eh……?" (Maria)
Maria looked confused as she ran.
"His HP is down to 0. His body is torn apart. But he will probably survive and reappear." (Jin)
"...Is he really a human?" (Maria)
"Well, I don't know what species he is, so there's no guarantee he's human." (Jin)
Behind-the-scenes story
*Behind the scenes stories and anecdotes from the main story.
Status of two people
Orihara has the ability to give part of his own status to others, as well as the ability to gain three times the status of the person he kills and eats, so it seems like he will have an advantage over time.
However, in reality, there is a limit to the "status that can be given to others," and since Orihara's status has already exceeded that limit, the status he gains from then on will remain almost constant.
On the other hand, Shindo can only obtain the stats of his defeated opponents, but the number of his subordinates increases one after another, and the stats he obtains also increase proportionately.
At the start of chapter 105, Shindo and Orihara's status was almost equal.
On the other hand, if Shindo and Orihara had not fought at this time, Orihara would have been left far behind by Shindo in terms of status.
Even Orihara is at a disadvantage against Shindo, who has full use of his special abilities. Even if he pulls him into another world, his Blessing can only transfer him to a place he has stepped on once. If a Hero, who has such an ability, gets within Shindo's range of movement, Shindo will become wary. So, Orihara has no choice but to ambush Shindo with Eldia.
Although it seemed like Orihara was in control of the pace from start to finish, he was actually walking a tightrope.
??? "Yeah, that tightrope walk was fun."
Author's Note (Preface)
Orihara is dead![2] (Many people in the comments section don't believe it)
Author's Note (Afterword)
In battle scenes, the characters' clothes are often unaffected, which is unnatural. The author places great importance on realism.
Wings of The Immortal: "I'm not a loincloth!"
Translation Note
[1] I'll refer the main story world as "The origin world" and MC's original world (Earth) as "MC's original world" (or "my original world" from Jin's perspective) just to make it easier to understand, because both words have the same Japanese word (元の世界). I'll adjust the previous chapters accordingly.
[2] For me, it seems like a spoiler, so I moved the preface to the end (which should be at the beginning), but I don't know though, because the MC said that the character will probably appear later.