Book 5: Chapter 15 (1/2)

The girls could see the worry and fear in my expression, so they didn’t have to ask. I wanted to leave them behind and go on my own, but right after making a speech about how we were all in this together, I feared being cautious would cost me in the end. I didn’t know what I would face at the school, but I knew I’d be able to face it better with the girls beside me. Thus, we all ended up piling into Sasori’s mini-van and leaving for the school.

It wasn’t so odd for Miss Fukumi to need to return to the school, especially with her daughter there. It’d be less odd for her to take a group of kids, rather than drive around with a single guy. All in all, it was probably for the best that I decided to bring all of the girls.

On the way, I began to give the girls the cliff notes version on what was going on. I decided it was too late to hold anything back from them. Whatever rules there might have been at one point involving the game, they had been obliterated the second they had taken Netori away from me. I explained my death, the appearance of the goddess NTR, the game, in very rough terms, and the relationships I had with each girl.

I was shocked to see them nodding their heads in acceptance. I had expected them to think I was lying. Perhaps their repeated exposure to that world had already desensitized them to the idea. Perhaps, their trust in me was just that great.

They weren’t exactly pleased to hear that our sexual encounters ended up being scored by invisible points from the gods, but they didn’t hold it against me. I was actually a little worried they might blame me personally for it. I was afraid they’d feel manipulated or cheated out of their lives. Akiko was the one I had used my abilities on the most, so I really was afraid of her thoughts. I ended up asking if she was okay with it.

“Hakaru is still Hakaru…” She responded simply. “You… killed yourself because of me?”

“Ah!”

When she said that, I suddenly felt super embarrassed. There were several factors that led to me killing myself, but at its simplest, seeing her cheating on me was what spawned the start.

“Never do it again!” Akiko said, her face suddenly flashing with anger. “I will never do that to you ever again! I know your feelings for me, and I reciprocate them!”

“D-don’t act so pleased! You made Brother kill himself! If that had actually happened…” Maria teared up.

“I-I’m not pleased!” Akiko blushed, trying to hide the somewhat happy expression on her face that broke through the angry look she had worn.

“I agree!” Miss Fukumi responded. “I feel like I failed as your teacher. That you were driven to such a state and I didn’t even know… I should have… I could have…”

“Become my lover earlier?” I asked, a grin on my face as I reached over and fondled her breasts.

“Y-you… naughty… I’m driving!”

I pulled my hand away, as I really did want her to hurry. However, my expression grew serious for a second.

“The boy who killed himself was me a long time ago. Back then, I was weak and scared, and I ended up losing everything as a result. That same kind of situation won’t happen again. However, make no mistake, I would die for any one of you.”

“You…”

“Saying that now…”

The girls were all flustered to speechlessness. I hadn’t meant it to entice them. I had spoken the simple truth. I wasn’t willing to lose them again. I would give anything, even my life, for the women in my life. As I thought those words, I realized they were the truth. The mini-van finally descended into silence. However, it wasn’t a long trip overall, and we didn’t wait long before the school was in sight.

By the time we got there, the sun was starting to set. My mind started thinking about Kira once again. I hadn’t felt this anxious since I got the phone call from Kira begging for help. I had called her phone twice and texted her on the way, but she still hadn’t returned my calls.

When the mini-van pulled up in front of the school, I practically leaped out. Akiko was the boldest, and followed after me without a thought. Miss Fukumi was a little slower, and Maria still felt a bit awkward being here at all. It had only been a day since we had started to form a relationship in her mind, and now she was suddenly being tossed into a world with gods and magic.

I didn’t feel ready for a final confrontation with Depravity. I only got my memory back and realized he existed a little bit earlier that day. Now, things were brought to an end. He was holding Kira and making his move. Perhaps he was afraid of what Mary would do if he waited any longer. After all, she was a wild card to him. Either way, he had made his move, and I had reached a point where I wouldn’t give up what was mine without fighting. So, I was here, and I had no clue what I was going to see, or how I was going to deal with it. For once, I was going in without a single plan.

When we reached the doors, however, a person stepped out and I found myself stopping short. Akiko ran into my back, having been hot on my heals. The other two girls were farther behind, and they slowed down as they noticed her.

“Mary…” I said shortly. “Where are they?”

“You don’t want to go in there.” She responded, biting her lip.

“Is that more of your manipulation?” I demanded.

“No…” She looked down shamefully. “It’s my wish to protect you.”

“Kira is in there, yes?”

“Kira… has been through worse.” She spoke slowly, causing my hands to tighten. “She can… still take it. You can claim her back when you’re ready.”

“I won’t let him have her!”

“You’re not ready for Depravity! He’s not a man who plays by the rules. He never has been. When it comes to a sexual relationship, he can be exciting, but he is also chaos incarnate. He will break your girlfriend, and any of these other girls too. Take them home, protect them. Kira… her mind is already protected a bit thanks to Netorase. With time, you can win her back.”

“No!”

“Why not?” Mary’s face flashed with a bit of anger, and for just a second, I felt some kind of indescribable pressure push down on me, which had to be the might of a goddess.

However, I was completely unphased. “Because I love her!”

Mary blinked, as if she didn’t understand the words.

“NTR Crush isn’t a game to me. It’s a life. I take what I love, and I hold on to it, because I love them all! I won’t let anyone I love suffer! I won’t let anyone I love regret! If I’m not good enough for them, to hell with letting them go! I’ll become someone good enough for them!”