[Author's Words]
[I'm really sorry for the delay. Not only have I been busy with work, but I've also had some difficulties writing this chapter, so I had to fix and rewrite several things before updating it. To avoid such long delays in writing the next chapters, I'm going to start writing them a little shorter.]
*Kenichi's POV*
Kenichi: (This is amazing...)
Although I expected a few improvements, I never thought that merging the Achievement System with Innovate Clear would bring me so many advantages.
Among them, the one that caught my attention the most was the one that said that the ideal world created by Innovate Clear will become completely sealed off and no one in this world, no matter how powerful, will be able to force their way in unless I let them in. This improvement made me quite tempted to press the "Yes" option immediately.
In this world, there are a large number of beings who have the ability or skill to manipulate space and dimensions (especially gods). But thanks to this upgrade, not even someone as powerful as Ophis or Great Red will be able to force their way in or out of my ideal world.
Kenichi: (This confirms once again that the outer God who granted me the achievement system is on a scale of power that is impossible to measure with logic).
In addition, by linking to the rewards of the achievement system, the possibilities will open up for Innovate Clear to gain new skills and upgrades that further increase its capabilities.
No matter how you look at it, anyone would agree that the most logical and beneficial option is to accept the merger. But the only detail that made me hesitate is the notification that says Innovate Clear will be disassociated from the Heavenly System and will cease to be one of the original 13 Longinus.
In High School DxD, the Heavenly System or Celestial System is a fundamental part of the supernatural world. It was created by the biblical God to regulate the balance between good and evil and controls many other aspects of the supernatural world. These include:
- Maintenance of the heavenly hierarchy: Controls the functions of angels, seraphim, and other entities of Heaven.
- Creation and control of the Sacred Gears: Since the biblical God created the Sacred Gears using the Heavenly System, it is responsible for regulating their use and preventing them from getting out of control.
- Regulation of Good and Evil:
It allows angels and other heavenly beings to act on God's behalf to maintain moral and spiritual balance.
- The laws of Heaven:
It is responsible for punishing those who break sacred vows or have impure thoughts (such as what happens to Dulio, an angel who struggles with his impulses).
- Stability of human faith:
It influences believing humans, allowing prayers, miracles, and blessings to work.
That's all I know about the Heavenly System.
Since the biblical God died during the Great War (a large-scale war that occurred thousands of years ago, in which angels, fallen angels, and devils fought each other), most of the functions of the Heavenly System ceased to be active, but despite this, it still continues to function automatically while being operated by Archangel Michael.
It is said that if the Heavenly System stops functioning or is damaged in some way, stability in Heaven may collapse. It could also cause the Sacred Gears to malfunction or become uncontrollable, and the human world could become unstable.
Being a Hanyou, the reality is that it didn't affect me at all if the Heavenly System stopped working. I am a supernatural being from a completely different religion and culture, so that has nothing to do with me. The same goes for Japan; in this country, Shintoism and Buddhism are mainly practiced. Christianity is only a minority religion that is not even practiced by 1% of the Japanese population.
Kenichi: (The only thing that connects me to the Christian faction and the Heavenly System is Innovate Clear).
This is the main reason why I am still hesitating to accept the merger.
Now that the biblical God is dead, the functioning of the Heavenly System is far from perfect, but thanks to my knowledge of the original story, I understand that it still has the ability to track or identify users of Sacred Gears.
What would happen if Innovate Clear suddenly disappeared and the angels already knew that I was its user thanks to the Heavenly System's detection capabilities?
This is the basis of my current concern...
In the worst case scenario, the Angels will likely begin to suspect that I somehow altered or hacked the Heavenly System with the intention of destroying or taking over the human world. If that happens, it's obvious to assume that I will immediately be declared a sworn enemy by the Angel faction. It's even possible that the Fallen Angels and Devils will get involved.
But don't get me wrong, it's not that I'm afraid of them or that I care if they distrust me; it's just that, personally, I prefer to keep a low profile while I grow stronger. Although my Hanma blood cries out for me to fight powerful beings, the fact is that my current strength as a human is only slightly superior to that of low-class Devils. In this world, I can't act with the same arrogance as Yuujirou unless I have the strength to back it up.
Kenichi: (This city is already chaotic enough with its aliens, heroes, and Youkai. The last thing I need right now is for angels, fallen angels, and Devils to start hanging around here as if it were their backyard).
I also can't forget that several members of the Saruyama Clan have had different types of conflicts with the three factions of Christianity. At this rate, they may end up openly declaring me an enemy in order to propel their long-awaited peace, similar to what they did with the Chaos Brigade.
Both in my full Youkai form and in my hybrid transformation, I have enough power to face several Gods on equal terms, but despite that, I am still quite far from the level of power possessed by the strongest beings in this world. Based on the power scale generally used in DxD, I can conclude that as a Youkai, I am on the same level as the Ultimate-Class Devils.
The Ultimate-Class is the highest class in the Devil hierarchy, surpassed only by the Maou-Class. All Devils in this class have enough power to face beings such as the five great dragon kings, the leaders of other supernatural factions, and the lower and middle-class Gods.
Of course, this is only an estimate based on the information I have from the original story. The only thing I can say for sure is that beings belonging to the lowest part of the Ultimate Class have enough power to easily destroy cities, mountains, and islands, and those at the top of this class can even destroy countries.
Although I don't have any abilities powerful enough to destroy an entire country, I do have other fairly potent abilities that can be extremely lethal, such as Meido Zangetsuha, Banishing Shift, and Jigoku no Gouka. Although they are not effective against the strongest beings in this world, if I use them well and strengthen them properly, I am completely confident that I can seriously injure or even kill any being in the Ultimate Class.
In short, even if I am the strongest Youkai in Japan, at this moment I lack the power to face the three factions of Christianity on my own. That is why, for the time being, it is not advisable to draw attention to myself.
Kenichi: "..."
While I was thinking about what to do, I saw Sairenji trying to lift a huge pile of papers from the desk used by the teachers. Since I had nothing else to do, I approached her and started talking to her.
Kenichi: "Do you want me to help you, Sairenji?"
Hearing my words, Sairenji shuddered nervously and quickly turned around to look at me.
Sairenji: "H-Huh? Saruyama-kun?"
Kenichi: "You have to take these papers to the teachers' room, right? I don't have anything important to do right now; if you want, I can walk with you."
Sairenji: "I-Are you sure... I don't want to bother you."
Kenichi: "You're not bothering me... Besides, even if you are the class representative, carrying all these things to the teachers' lounge by yourself is quite excessive."
Kenichi: (I'm not exaggerating... I know that the situation where a main heroine carries a huge stack of papers that make it difficult for her to see where she's walking is a typical cliché in school anime and manga, but no matter how you look at it, this is excessive.)
On the desk were two huge stacks of papers that were at least a meter high, as well as a box full of various materials and books. I know Sairenji is much stronger than she looks, but with this amount, she'll inevitably have to make three trips back and forth to the teachers' lounge on the first floor.
Sairenji: "I guess you're right... So, if it's not too much trouble, could you help me carry this to the teachers' lounge, Saruyama-kun?"
Kenichi: "Of course, whenever you have a problem, you can ask me for help; that's what friends are for."
Sairenji: "Thank you."
Sairenji is a kind and somewhat reserved girl. That's why, even though she knew it would be difficult to carry all these things to the teachers' lounge, she had doubts about bothering another classmate to help her. The reason she agreed to let me help her so easily is because we've been classmates since middle school, and compared to the past, we've become quite close.
Kenichi: (Besides, thanks to Sairenji's help, I've improved a lot in my studies, so I have no problem helping her with these things).
I know that with my high intelligence parameter and my ability to see into alternate realities, I could cheat to get good grades on tests, but I prefer to take things easy while attending school. The repetitive and monotonous life of a high school student is good for clearing my mind and relaxing from all the supernatural crap.
Kenichi: (If this world weren't full of different kinds of supernatural beings, insane psychopaths, perverted gods, and giant dragons that can destroy planets, I would have just focused on living my school life normally).
Kenichi: "Who left all this stuff here?"
Sairenji: "It was Honekawa-sensei... Apparently, he made a mistake printing the exams for several classes and ended up with a lot of extra copies."
Kenichi: "I see..."
There is no one in this school who does not know Honekawa-sensei; after all, he is one of the few male teachers at Sainan High School and is also a background character who appeared frequently in To Love-Ru. In short, you could say he is just an old man who is partially senile; his classes are the most boring, and he usually forgets whatever he is doing.
Kenichi: (Personally, I think he should retire before he gets caught up in all the ridiculous situations that will occur when the To Love-Ru plot begins, but seeing how the logic of this world works, I think that's quite difficult).
Kenichi: "Then let's go."
Sairenji: "Yes."
After saying that to Sairenji, I effortlessly lifted the two stacks of papers and let her carry the box, which was lighter. Although Sairenji was a little surprised to see me lift the stacks of papers so easily, I could tell she quickly recovered when she remembered how I dealt with the delinquents who were bothering her a while ago.
As we walked, I could see several of our classmates looking at me in amazement, but I indifferently ignored their stares and started talking to Sairenji about the books she had recommended to me a few days ago.
As you all know, after being disappointed by the deplorable state of entertainment in this world, I decided to write several stories about the other worlds I observed with my ability. Sword Art Online is just the first step in an even more ambitious project I have in mind for the future.
Not only do I have enough material to make the story much longer than the original version, but I also plan to do several crossovers with Accel World.
I know I'm following the same pattern of thinking that reincarnated protagonists in fanfiction usually have, but for now, you could say this is just a hobby. I still have a large part of the vast fortune I inherited from my parents, so for the moment, I'm not that interested in the money I'll receive for my stories.
You could say that I'm doing it mainly because I want to see the changes my stories can bring to this world. After earning enough money, I can even start my own company and recruit talented people to do the rest of the work while I just provide ideas and supervise them.
Fortunately, this world is not lacking in talented people. Once I am able to create my own company, I can freely introduce anime, movies, games, and any other entertainment media I want; I can also do different types of collaborations and franchises.
That's why I need information about the things that are popular in this world...
Although I'm a little embarrassed to admit it, when I was being controlled by the will of the world, I was only interested in seeing and doing perverted things. That's why my knowledge of anything else is quite limited. The only thing I know for sure is that, apparently, most of the entertainment in this world was somehow influenced by the different ecchi anime that are mixed in this world.
A good example of this is light novels. After doing some research, I found this top 10 list of the most popular light novels in Japan and abroad:
1.- Can an unpopular boy fall in love with the class bitch?
2.- The slut is after me, the otaku.
3.- I joined the student council and ended up becoming the president's slave.
4.- I, the unpopular one, went to another world and created a harem of girls with huge breasts.
5.- In another world, my face is the definition of ikemen, so I'm going to use it to my advantage to sleep with all the girls at the magic academy.
6.- The most popular girl in school became my sex slave.
7.- My childhood friend is a pervert who secretly sniffs my used underwear.
8.- I was reincarnated in another world and despised by my family and friends, but I'm definitely going to become the king of the harem.
9.- I was stabbed and reincarnated in another world as a young noble lady with big breasts.
10.- My childhood friend cheated on me with the scumbag of the class, but I'm going to get revenge by seducing their sexy mothers.
Kenichi: "..."
Believe it or not, in this world, regardless of genre or type, all stories, without exception, have extremely long and ridiculous names like these.
Kenichi: (I know that in other worlds this has also been happening with light novels and web novels... But this world takes it to the extreme of exaggeration... It's already quite bizarre that 70% of all entertainment is about perverted stories).
And it's not just in Japan; in foreign countries, there are crude imitations of books that are famous and popular in other worlds, such as Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, and The Chronicles of Narnia. Although the essence is similar to that of the original stories, at the end of the day they are far from being as good.
Just imagine: they turned Harry Potter into a pervert who built a harem in Howards; in The Lord of the Rings, they reversed the genders of all the male characters, and now they are sexy women who have adventures and wars while wearing bikini armor, as in the story of Queen's Blade, and Game of Thrones became similar to a hentai eroge called Kuroinu, in which several men gang rape all the heroines. Basically, they took away almost all the fantasy and turned them into perverted stories or stories for adults over +18.
Kenichi: (They seem more like fanfics created by perverted fans).
Sairenji doesn't know much about manga and anime, but she is very knowledgeable about different types of books; in particular, she really likes reading light novels about romance and drama. That's why I asked her to recommend some books that weren't from the ecchi genre, so I could have different types of references.
Kenichi: (Now that I think about it... In the original To Love-Ru story, Sairenji used to daydream about romantic situations on occasion; I guess she was influenced by the romance novels she reads in her spare time).
But putting that thought aside, thanks to the books Sairenji has recommended to me, we've had quite a few topics in common to talk about lately. That's why we were now walking cheerfully while chatting.
Sairenji: "Saruyama-kun, did you have time to read the first volume of Koisuru Metronome?"
Kenichi: "Yes, I finished reading it... Although it's a story full of clichéd situations, I have to admit that it's quite entertaining; in particular, I really liked the quality of the writing. The way the settings and the main characters' feelings were described was incredible."
Sairenji: "True~ The romantic situations between the protagonist and the heroine are a bit forced and cliché, but the way their emotions are expressed is incredible. I think I'm going to become a fan of Kasumi Utako-sensei."
Thanks to Sairenji's recommendation, I had the opportunity to read the newly released first volume of 'Koisuru Metronome', a light novel written by a promising young novelist known as Kasumi Utako.
Of course, that's just a pseudonym. Being familiar with the various anime that are mixed into this world, I obviously know that her real name is Kasumigaoka Utaha, one of the main heroines of Saekano, along with Kato and Sawamura. Putting aside her appearance and personality for the moment, the reason I was interested in reading her novel is because she is one of the talents I plan to recruit in the future.
Koisuru Metronome (The Metronome in Love). In the story of Saekano, it was always described as an incredible light novel, the product of Kasumigaoka Utaha's writing talent, but that light novel was always in the background, so they never gave many details about what it was specifically about.
In short, you could say it's a romantic novel with a melancholic and dramatic tone, centered on a complex love triangle. In itself, the story is not that impressive; you could say it's just a typical school romance cliché. The male protagonist is as generic and cowardly as most ecchi anime protagonists, and it's obvious that the main heroine was based on Kasumigaoka Utaha's own personality.
Thanks to my ability, I have seen a lot of stories from other worlds, which is why the story of Koisuru Metronome doesn't appeal to me that much. Although by the standards of this world, which is so backward in terms of entertainment, I understand why both Sairenji and the protagonist Aki Tomoya found it to be an incredible story.
For my part, I'm not at all interested in Kasumigaoka's ability to create stories. I literally believe in a character with her own personality, and from what I understand, the rest of the volumes she's going to publish in the future are inspired by her daily life with Tomoya and the rest of the main cast of "Saekano".
Kenichi: (It's almost as if she's telling the whole world the story of how she became a loser heroine).
But that doesn't matter for now; what I'm really looking for in her is her writing talent. After reading "Koisuru Metronome", it became clear to me that her ability to describe landscapes, settings, characters, and emotions was impressive. I would dare to say that, in that respect, she surpasses most writers. She is at such a high level that she could make a boring story interesting just by the way she describes those details.
Sairenji: "I was quite surprised when you asked me to recommend my favorite novels. I didn't know you were interested in these things, Saruyama-kun."
Kenichi: "It's true that I wasn't very interested in them before, but after reading a few, I felt somewhat inspired, and that's why I want to publish my own novel."
Sairenji: "Huh!? Y-You're going to write a novel!?"
I don't blame her for reacting that way. Even with my new appearance, I don't look like the type of person who would write a novel, let alone one that isn't about perverted things.
Kenichi: "To be exact, I already wrote a web novel. Currently, I'm publishing it on a site called [***]."
Although Sairenji still seemed a little bewildered, she instantly pulled herself together and began to smile happily.
Sairenji: "Really~ I'm happy for you, Saruyama-kun~ So that's why you wanted to read those novels. You should have told me earlier. What's the story you wrote called?"
Kenichi: "I don't know if you'll like it. Although it has some suspense and romantic situations, I'd say it's more of an action and fantasy story, so I can't guarantee you'll like it. It's called "Sword Art Online", or "SAO" for short."
Sairenji: "Huh? I feel like I've heard that title somewhere..."
Rito: "H-Hello... Sairenji... Saruyama."
[A Yuuki Rito in the wild has just appeared]
*Narrator's POV*
The one who suddenly appeared, interrupting the lively conversation between Kenichi and Haruna, was none other than Yuuki Rito. The protagonist of To Love-Ru and also the one who would become Haruna's boyfriend at the end of the story.
According to Kenichi's understanding and that of anyone else who has seen or read the story of To Love-Ru, Yuuki Rito is nothing more than the typical, generic protagonist of Ecchi anime and manga. He has no talent or qualities that make him truly special; he has no dreams, goals, or aspirations for the future, and although he is not unattractive, he is not particularly handsome either.
He is literally the image that represents any protagonist of the Ecchi genre.
Kenichi's thoughts about Rito are somewhat complex. Before he broke free from the control of the world's will, Kenichi only saw Rito as a good friend who was too clumsy and dense for his own good. That's why part of him had the urge to want to help him, similar to how an older brother would care for the well-being of his clumsy but kind younger brother.
But after becoming aware of the reality of this world and seeing the countless alternate realities that exist, Kenichi's understanding of the world and people changed dramatically. That's why, even though he knows that Rito is a good person at heart, he can't help but see all his flaws every time he looks at him.
He can't make clear decisions about his own feelings, especially when they have to do with the main heroines.
He is extremely indecisive and clumsy, to the point of stupidity.
He is very passive and rarely takes the initiative in important situations; whether in romance or even dangerous situations, it could be said that he only reacts to situations rather than acting on his own (despite being clear that he was in love with Sairenji and apparently also with Lala, he simply let himself be swept up in Momo's harem plan, almost as if he had no will of his own).
He has no sense of danger; he literally found out that Lala's suitors hired assassins like "Golden Darkness" to kill him, and instead of doing anything about it, he simply continued attending high school and living normally as if nothing had happened.
Despite being surrounded by multiple girls who are obviously in love with him, he shows no sign of realizing their feelings and also shows no emotional development (in other words, he is dense to the point where you want to punch him).
His confidence and self-esteem are at rock bottom despite being surrounded all the time by women who are obviously in love with him.
Apart from his ability to care for plants and his soccer skills, he has no other notable talents or qualities; plus, he is extremely clumsy at housework (he is capable of starting a fire just by making simple fried eggs).
He is a useless older brother who has to be taken care of by his younger sister most of the time (although I think his parents are more to blame for this, but since they don't care themselves, there's no need to question it too much).
The erotic situations he finds himself in are usually accidental, repetitive, and without realistic consequences.
Although he is portrayed as someone "pure" and respectful, he often ends up in extremely perverted situations with all the main heroines, and he doesn't show much sign of feeling truly guilty or remorseful (it's true that he says he feels guilty for touching the heroines in a perverted way, but if he really felt guilty, he would look for some way to stop having these perverted accidents; throughout the entire story, he was only seen trying to do so once or twice at most).
He could have cleared up Kenichi's misunderstanding from the anime at any time when he accidentally fell in love with his female version named Yuuki Riko, but instead of telling him the truth, he preferred to let it go and play along.
All this may seem excessive, but the reality is that most of the protagonists of Ecchi manga and anime have at least one or more of these same qualities.
Every time Kenichi looks at Rito's face, no matter how hard he tries, he always ends up instinctively seeing all these flaws; especially the last one, it still turns his stomach to remember that his alternate versions in the manga and anime fell in love with Rito's female transformation.
Kenichi doesn't know why, unlike other protagonists, he only feels this discomfort with Rito, but it's most likely because his identity as "the protagonist's best friend" is tied to the story of To Love-Ru.
That's why, personally, he didn't want to get involved with Rito again unless it was really necessary. For starters, he wasn't even sure if they were real friends. When they met in high school, they were both already under the influence of the world's will, so you could say that their entire friendship was fictitious or, at best, artificial.
They didn't even have any common interests or hobbies; whenever they were together, they ended up talking about Rito's love problems and his bad luck. No matter what they were doing, it was always about Rito.
Perhaps this was because Rito's family was quite dysfunctional, with parents who were immersed in their own work and only came home once a year. Rito never paid attention to Kenichi's family affairs, which is why, even though he visited his house several times, he didn't know that his parents were dead and didn't show enough interest to ask about it.
Most of the protagonists in ecchi manga and anime need to have at least one weird-looking, funny friend with a perverted personality to make their negative qualities less noticeable. So you could say that Kenichi was simply unlucky enough to fit that description perfectly.
Rito: "H-Hello... Sairenji... Saruyama."
After saying those words, Rito approached Kenichi and Haruna, walking nervously.
At first glance, his behavior seemed to be the same as always, but Kenichi could instantly tell that there was a certain hostility in the way he looked at him. This was completely unnatural behavior for someone like Rito, who usually had a kind and somewhat cowardly personality, but Kenichi decided to ignore this and act normally.
Sairenji: "Y-Yuuki-kun?"
Kenichi: "Hi, Rito."
In contrast to Haruna, who became nervous the moment she saw Rito, Kenichi remained indifferent and greeted him normally.
Inner Rito: {{Why is he greeting me in such a condescending manner? Does he think he's better than me just because his appearance changed a little and he's now somewhat attractive?}}
Rito didn't know the reason, but lately he felt as if an unknown voice was whispering things directly into his ears. After that incident where he ended up covered in dog excrement, he stopped paying attention to it, but lately those whispers were getting louder and louder, especially when he was around or saw Kenichi.
It's no secret that, like other protagonists in ecchi manga and anime, Rito also has a serious case of an inferiority complex. But no matter how kind and good a character in anime may be, the reality is that human beings are much more complex; at the end of the day, manga and anime are just stories or fictional worlds that follow the imagination and will of their creators.
A good example is To Love-Ru: it is a fictional and ideal world in which, no matter how ridiculous and dangerous the situation is or how many problems the protagonist gets into, at the end of the day everything will turn out well for him.
But this world is not the same as the story of To Love-Ru; technically speaking, it is a world that was made based on that story and many others. In this world, there is no absolute creator or writer who alters the story at will, and people are not anime characters; they are real beings, just like those in any other world. That is why, even though their thought processes and attitudes are similar to those of their fictional counterparts, they can sometimes show extreme changes in their personalities.
Such is the case with Rito today.
In the story of To Love-Ru, Rito is a protagonist whose only positive qualities are his kindness and luck. He may seem useless, but these two qualities are enough to make multiple heroines fall in love with him with relative ease. However, this is only possible because the story of To Love-Ru is set up that way. Thanks to this, Rito never had to work hard to win the affection of any heroine, nor did he have to compete with any other boys who were truly in love with them.
That is why, upon witnessing the sudden and surprising change in Kenichi's appearance and personality, as well as his closeness to Haruna, Rito's inferiority complex manifested itself violently.
Due to his nature as the protagonist, Rito had no other friends besides Kenichi. The boys envied him for his perverted luck, and the girls who were not part of the To Love-Ru story despised him almost as much as Tomoki, considering him a pervert who used his accidents as excuses to sexually harass them.
Although Kenichi was not viewed as negatively as Rito, it is a fact that, before freeing himself from the control of the world's will, his appearance was not the most attractive. In addition, he did not have many special qualities or talents to speak of, and on top of that, his reputation was not very good due to his friendship with Rito.
As mentioned before, humans are complex beings. Even though Rito is a person with an inherently kind personality, that doesn't change the fact that he is an ordinary teenager. That's why, to alleviate his own fears and insecurities a little, he began to unconsciously see Kenichi as someone inferior to him. Of course, this had nothing to do with the will of the world; it is a feeling that was born from Rito himself in this world.
Inner Rito: {{How dare this damn monkey talk so casually to Haruna-chan? He knows perfectly well that I'm in love with her... Just because his appearance changed a little and he now has some muscles, he thinks he's the big shot}}
The world's will, being aware of the negative feelings hidden deep within Rito's mind, began to subtly influence him to turn his discomfort and jealousy into an irrational hatred towards Kenichi.
Kenichi's assumptions turned out to be true. There are certain stories and characters that have different types of importance to the world's will. Everyday life stories, for example, do not interest it at all because they have no effect on the world. Although To Love-Ru has several dangerous characters who could destroy the Earth, Rito's only role in that story is to make the heroines fall in love with him; that is why, in the eyes of the world's will, he is not that important. Any other protagonist could easily take his place.
As long as the survival of the world was assured, he didn't mind sacrificing a few individuals.
Rito: "I-I was walking down the hallway when I saw them... Those things look pretty heavy... D-Do you need help?"
Kenichi couldn't help but roll his eyes when he heard Rito's words.
Kenichi: (What the hell is that 'I was walking down the hallway when I saw them'? You couldn't come up with a better excuse; you've been following us since we left the classroom).
Kenichi wasn't wrong.
He didn't even need to have enhanced senses to notice Rito's pathetic attempt to stay hidden. He was crouching down while hiding behind a pillar that did nothing to conceal his distinctive orange-brown hair. But, despite how ridiculous his hiding place was, it seemed that no one noticed his presence except Kenichi.
Although Kenichi knew better than anyone how hopelessly in love Rito was with Haruna, he had to admit that it was somewhat creepy how obsessed he was with her. He even went so far as to watch and follow her like a perverted stalker. If this world weren't influenced by anime, Rito would definitely have been labeled a pervert and suspended from school for stalking.
Whether during classes, breaks, lunchtime, or during the girls' tennis club practices, Rito always kept watching Haruna from afar. The only times he dared to approach her were when he wanted to confess his feelings to her, which were the same times he used to have unfortunate accidents that prevented him from doing so.
What was happening right now was a good example. Rito had been watching Haruna since before Kenichi offered to help her, but due to his nervousness and cowardice, he remained seated and did nothing. In these cases, it was always Kenichi who offered a helping hand; normally, his role was to talk to Haruna and then create a situation in which it would be easier for Rito to interact with her.
Although in To Love-Ru this was only seen a few times at the beginning of the story, the reality is that before Lala arrived on Earth, Rito was completely useless, unable to even have a casual conversation with Haruna without stuttering. That's why Kenichi was in charge of setting up situations so that the two of them could be alone together.
But, unfortunately for Rito, Kenichi had no intention of getting involved in that kind of trouble again; he had already decided that he would only get involved in situations that were relevant to the story, in order to earn new rewards from the Achievement System.
Rito: "B-By the way, Saruyama... I thought I heard someone looking for you in class... If you want, I can carry those things for you."
Kenichi: "..."
Obviously, what Rito was saying was a lie. If someone had really been looking for Kenichi, he would have heard it with his new and improved hearing abilities. But even though he knew it was a lie, he had no reason or motive to refuse Rito's request.
Contrary to what Rito thought, Kenichi wasn't in love with Haruna, nor was he trying to seduce her; he just considered her a good friend. That's why he had no intention of interfering in their relationship.
Kenichi: (Apparently, I wasn't wrong; he really thinks I'm in love with Sairenji.)
Kenichi: "Are you sure? I don't mean to brag, but these papers are quite heavy, and you're not the most balanced person I know. Are you sure you can make it to the staff room without any problems while carrying these papers?"
Inner Rito: {{He's looking down on me!}}
Rito: "O-Of course."
Kenichi: "I see... I'm sorry, Sairenji, it looks like something just came up, so I won't be able to accompany you all the way, but don't worry, I'm sure Rito will be able to help you without any trouble."
Kenichi: (I'm obviously lying; it's obvious that this useless guy is going to have one of his usual perverted accidents the moment I leave.)
Sairenji: "D-Don't worry, Saruyama-kun, in fact, I'm the one who's sorry; I just wasted your time."
Kenichi: "No problem."
After saying that, Kenichi approached Rito normally and handed him the two stacks of papers.
Rito wanted to show off in front of Haruna by showing her that he could also lift the stacks of papers as easily as Kenichi, but there were two things he didn't take into account.
Rito: "U-UGH!!!"
First, he was just an ordinary teenager with a slightly better than average physical condition, and second, he was trying to compare himself to Kenichi, someone who had already far surpassed the physical condition of a normal human being.
Rito: "A-AH! WATCH OUT!!!"
Although both stacks of papers weighed approximately 10 kg each, that didn't change the fact that carrying them both in both hands was quite difficult; that's why the moment Rito picked them up, he immediately lost his balance and began to fall awkwardly, in the direction where Haruna was standing.
It happened just as Kenichi had imagined it would.
If Kenichi hadn't been there and Rito had done it in a less crowded place, he wouldn't have minded ignoring this kind of scene; after all, throughout the history of To Love-Ru, this happened in every chapter. That's why, as much as he wanted to avoid it, it would be useless unless he watched Rito 24 hours a day.
But this time was different.
It was recess after class, and the hallway was crowded with students from different classes. It was obvious that Kenichi wasn't going to let Rito expose Haruna in such a compromising position in front of so many people.
He wasn't doing this for the rewards from the Achievement System; it was simply that the act of exposing a girl like that in front of other people disgusted him. That's why he felt a deep distaste for protagonists like Rito and Hyodou Issei, who were capable of exposing the girls they liked naked in front of other people.
At least in Tomoki's case, it was acceptable because he received brutal beatings in return and didn't complain about it either.
Kenichi was ready to pull Haruna out of Rito's way, but just before he did, both he and Rito (who was falling in slow motion) were surprised to witness an unprecedented scene.
Sairenji: "Kyaaa!"
Kenichi: "!"
Rito: "!!!"
Whether by reflex or unconsciously, Haruna closed her eyes and took two steps back, dodging Rito (who was falling in slow motion) and suddenly throwing a perfect right hook straight to his face.
*Bang!*
The impact of the blow was so devastating that Rito's body flew through the air like a rag doll, his body tumbling unnaturally several times.
Rito: "GHAAAAAAA!!!"
Since Kenichi already had prior knowledge of the To Love-Ru story, Haruna's sudden display of brute force didn't surprise him that much. What really surprised him was that, just like when Yukana violently rejected Jun'ichi in the past, Haruna also deviated from her usual behavior and hit Rito despite being in love with him.
If this were the To Love-Ru manga or anime, Haruna would have simply stood still, letting Rito touch her in a perverted way, and ultimately forgiven him on the grounds that it was just an accident.
As for Haruna's sudden brute force, Kenichi had already grown accustomed to seeing such phenomena that defied the laws of physics.
This was one of the wonders of this world, which was influenced by the logic of anime. As long as people were involved in humorous situations, they all had an ability similar to the Toon Force of old cartoons, which allowed them to perform actions that defied understanding and logic.
[Toon Force]
[It is a concept in animation that allows characters to defy logic and the laws of physics to create comical effects, such as pulling objects out of thin air, manipulating the environment to their convenience, or ignoring gravity until they realize they are in the air. It manifests as a manipulation of reality and the laws of physics in an absurd and amusing way.]
In humorous stories such as To Love-Ru and Sora no Otoshimono, the Toon Force phenomenon occurred quite frequently; in fact, it was the greatest quality of characters such as Tomoki and Sohara.
Rito's body kept spinning like a top in the air, until it finally stopped when it collided with another person.
???: "Kyaaa~!"
The person Rito collided with was a woman, so it's obvious that his perverted luck kicked in instantly to ensure that its user ended up in the most compromising situation possible.
Rito's head was buried between the woman's thighs and his face was pressed directly against her panties, causing her to moan with pleasure.
???: "Haa~♥"
Whether consciously or unconsciously, Rito moved his hands desperately, trying to hold on to something, but the moment he did, he could feel a soft, familiar sensation in the palms of his hands.
???: "Hyaaa~♥"
Rito: (T-This is...)
Obviously, Rito was already familiar with this sensation; after all, it was what always happened to him when he had perverted accidents with different girls.
But at the same time that he realized what was happening, for some strange reason, he couldn't help but feel uneasy.
Something strange was happening...
The usual rose scent characteristic of girls was nowhere to be found; instead, he could only smell a rancid and unpleasant aroma. Furthermore, something felt strange about the breasts he was touching; they didn't have the same firmness as usual, it felt more like he was touching the huge udders of a cow.
He pulled his face away from the woman's panties and slowly began to lift his head to look at the woman he had bumped into.
But, to his horror, the moment he did so, the beautiful, sexy girl he had been expecting was nowhere to be found.
Instead, he could only see a middle-aged woman with disproportionately long, sagging breasts, black hair pulled back into the shape of a large hat, sunglasses, and thick, fleshy lips.
Rito: "H-Huh? W-Who is she?"
Rito didn't know who this woman was, but his instincts were warning him that he had to get away from her as quickly as possible.
It turns out that the woman he bumped into was the vice principal of Sainan High School. Her name is An Baba.
The moment Rito realized what was going on, his face immediately turned pale and his expression was the clear definition of fear.
For those wondering, what is the reason Rito reacted that way?
Then there is only one answer.
Like the principal, the vice principal of Sainan High School is a sexual deviant who doesn't hesitate for a second to pounce on her students to kiss them and sexually harass them.
An Baba: "Hehehe~ I see~ So you're the famous Yuuki Rito, I've been so eager to meet you~ Who would have thought you'd come looking for me of your own free will~ I see you really want me to discipline you~"
Rito: "N-N-No... I don't..."
Hearing the vice principal's words, all the male students who were watching the commotion with curiosity immediately shuddered and their bodies stiffened with fear.
An Baba: "Don't worry, I have a private room where I can thoroughly discipline you~"
Rito: "N-No... No... NOOOOOOO!!!"
Unable to take it anymore, Rito broke away from the Vice Principal and began running at full speed in the opposite direction while pressing his hands against his buttocks.
An Baba: "Hehehe~ You can't do that~ Running in the hallways is prohibited~"
After saying those words, the Vice Principal got into a bizarre position, similar to that of a four-legged animal, and began chasing Rito with devastating speed.
Rito: "HAAAAAA! I'M SO SORRY! PLEASE HAVE MERCY ON ME!"
An Baba: "WAIT!"
Anyone who saw that scene would think it looked a lot like a horror movie.
Guy #1: "W-Who is that old lady?"
Guy #2: "D-Don't you know, she's the Vice Principal."
Guy #1: "T-The Vice Principal!?"
Guy #2: "Yes. S-She's famous for being very strict about the rules, and if she finds any boys running in the hallways..."
Guy #3: "She'll chase them to the ends of the earth... And if she catches you..."
As the characters in the background murmured nervously, the Vice Principal took a big leap and pinned Rito to the ground with both hands.
An Baba: "Think about what you did."
Rito: "N-No... No... Nooooo... Noooooooo...NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"
Unable to resist, Rito could only shudder as he watched the Vice Principal extend a tongue as long as an anteater's from her mouth and force it into his own mouth.
An Baba: "Mwah, mwah, mwah!"
Rito: "UGHHHHHH!"
Guy #2: "She'll stick her tongue all the way down your throat."
Guy #1: "Ugh..."
Guy #3: "They say she was a famous athlete in the past who won several first places in national competitions; that's why no one can escape her attack... It's a shame for that guy, but this is the end of his love life."
While the characters in the background continued to murmur, Kenichi bent down and began to indifferently pick up the papers that Rito had scattered on the floor, as if everything that had happened had nothing to do with him.
Kenichi: (Falling down to touch any girl in a perverted way... When you look at it this way, it's not a very good skill.)
After everything that had happened, Haruna finally opened her eyes and, to her surprise, Rito was nowhere to be found; instead, she could only see Kenichi picking up the papers scattered on the floor.
Haruna: "H-Huh? Saruyama-kun? What happened to Yuuki-kun? I'm sure he was here a moment ago."
Kenichi: "That's a difficult question to answer... I guess you could say he had to go far away to fight a great battle."
Sairenji: "Hmm?"
*Kenichi's POV*
Shuu: "Too bad the girls left together before we could invite them to lunch."
Raku: "That's true... I would have liked to have lunch with Onodera."
Kenichi: "Who would have thought that instead of being in paradise surrounded by beautiful girls, we'd find ourselves stuck at a sausage-only party?"
Shuu: "You can say that again."
After all that business with Sairenji and Rito, the hours passed and it was time for lunch. Usually, we would all get together as the same group, but today the girls went out to lunch somewhere else before we could invite them. From what I could hear, it seemed like they had a private matter to discuss.
That's why, since the three of us had nothing else to do, we decided to go out for lunch on the school rooftop.
Raku: "By the way, where did Tomoki go?"
Kenichi: "Who knows? Knowing him, he probably went out to harass some girl."
Shuu: "Yeah~ This is the time when the girls in class 2-B change in the locker room after gym class~ So he probably went to spy on them~"
Raku: "I know I'm going to regret asking this, but how do you know that?"
Shuu: "Hehehe~ Is our innocent little Raku-chan curious about the girls' changing times?"
Kenichi: "Ah~ They grow up so fast. Just a few days ago, he was such an innocent and pure child~ But now look what he's become, a libidinous teenager who's curious about the female body~"
Raku: "Damn it... This is why I didn't want to ask."
Shuu: "Hahaha~ Don't get mad, it was just a joke~ As for the answer to your question, I'm afraid I can't answer it, I would be betraying my comrades~"
Raku: "Comrades?"
Kenichi: "Trust me, it's better if you don't know right now... Although you might find out anyway in the future chapters."
Raku: "Huh? Future chapters?"
???: "AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!"
???: "WHY ARE YOU CHASING ME TOO!? HAAAAAAAAAA!!!"
As we walked toward the rooftop, we suddenly heard screams coming from the second-floor hallway.
???: "DON'T RUN AWAY, PERVERTS!!!"
???: "THEY NEED TO BE CASTRATED!!!"
???: "THEY'RE DESPICABLE SWINE!!!"
???: "Sniff! Sniff! NOW I'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO GET MARRIED!!!"
Following the first two screams, we immediately heard several others that seemed to come from different girls.
Raku: "W-What's that?"
Shuu: "Hmm? It sounds like they're chasing someone."
Unlike Raku and Shuu, who could only hear the screams without understanding anything, I could immediately identify what was happening.
Kenichi: "It seems like the girls discovered the hiding place where Tomoki was spying on them, and now they're chasing him furiously."
Raku: "H-Hey, you could tell who it was just from the screams?"
Shuu: "That's amazing... Well, knowing Tomoki, I kind of expected something like that."
Kenichi: "You're right... The weird thing is, it looks like they're chasing Rito too."
Raku: "Rito? You mean that guy who always has those ridiculous accidents?"
Kenichi: "Yeah, that's the one... Honestly, it's pretty weird to see them together, considering how badly they get along."
Although Rito and Tomoki haven't had many opportunities to interact, it's a fact that they dislike each other because they have completely opposite personalities. On one hand, there's a pervert who doesn't hesitate for a second to harass or spy on girls in a carefree manner, and on the other, there's a normal guy who often has accidents that cause him to touch girls in a perverted way against their will.
Although both have quite similar qualities as protagonists of ecchi anime, their personalities are fundamentally very different.
The reason Rito dislikes Tomoki is understandable; after all, who would want to be friends with a guy who casually touches girls' breasts and butts with a perverted smile while wearing panties as a mask? If it weren't for the fact that he always gets his just deserts, even I would have doubts about continuing to be his friend.
As for the reason Tomoki dislikes Rito, to my surprise, it's a much more understandable reason than Rito's. Although Tomoki feels some envy for Rito's perverted luck, personally, it doesn't bother him as much as it does other guys. What he really dislikes about Rito is that he considers him a hypocrite who uses his accidents as an excuse to get away with touching girls.
In that sense, I have to admit that I somewhat agree with Tomoki. It may be true that what happens to Rito are accidents, but at the end of the day, that doesn't change the fact that he really does touch the girls inappropriately. It's illogical and stupid to think that apologizing and saying it was an accident will let him off the hook every time.
Rito: "WHY ARE YOU CHASING ME TOO!? I WASN'T SPYING ON THEM, I JUST FELL AND WALKED INTO THE CHANGING ROOM BY ACCIDENT!"
Kenichi: (He entered the girls' locker room by 'accident,' saw them naked while they were changing clothes, and now he expects them to just let him go as if nothing happened. If this world and this school were normal, that would be reason enough to expel him).
Tomoki: "STOP WHINING LIKE A SISSY! EVEN IF IT WAS AN ACCIDENT, YOU STILL SAW THEM NAKED! THE ONLY OPTION YOU HAVE NOW IS TO ACCEPT THE CONSEQUENCES AND ACT LIKE A MAN!"
Rito: "THAT'S IRRATIONAL!!!"
Tomoki: "I DON'T CARE! BECAUSE OF YOU, THEY DISCOVERED THE HIDING PLACE I SPENT WEEKS BUILDING! TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND TAKE THEIR BEATING IN MY PLACE!"
Rito: "DON'T TALK NONSENSE! I'M DEFINITELY GOING TO DIE!!!"
As they got closer, we could hear their footsteps and voices more clearly. Immediately, the three of us walked quietly to the edge of the hallway to avoid bumping into them when they passed by.
We didn't have to wait long; within seconds we saw the silhouettes of both of them running desperately. Rito looked like a complete mess; his face was covered in bruises, tears, bumps, and various scratches, to the point that it was difficult to recognize him. In addition, for some strange reason, he had several panties and bras of different sizes and colors attached to his shirt. Tomoki, on the other hand, was even more beaten up than Rito; he was running in his Chibi form completely naked, while wearing a pink panty as a mask.
Right behind them, we could see a large number of girls chasing them with furious expressions, carrying baseball bats and tennis rackets with the intention of hitting them.
Rito: "P-PLEASE! I SWEAR IT WAS REALLY AN ACCIDENT! I DIDN'T EVEN GET TO SEE THEM NAKED!"
Girl #1: "You really thought we were going to believe that lame excuse! You went into the girls' locker room and pervertedly groped poor Asami!"
Girl #2: "Besides, who are you trying to fool! You're holding my panties in your hands! There's no way we're going to believe the words of a damn pervert like you!"
Rito: "N-NO! I SWEAR IT WAS REALLY AN ACCIDENT! WHEN I FELL INTO THE GIRLS' LOCKER ROOM, THEIR PANTIES AND BRAS GOT STUCK ON MY SHIRT AND I CAN'T GET THEM OFF!"
Girl #3: "Ha! Perverts like you always say that!"
Girl #4: "That's right! We don't even know what he wants our underwear for! He might sell them on the Internet or use them for his perverted and twisted hobbies!"
Girl #5: "What!? That's disgusting! My boyfriend is a member of the boxing club, he's going to beat you up worse than you've ever been beaten before when he finds out what you were planning to do with my underwear!"
Rito: "UGH! I SWEAR ON MY MOTHER'S LIFE IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!!!"
Kenichi: (I think this is the first time I've seen Rito's perverted luck not work on girls. Does being with Tomoki cancel out both of their luck or something?)
Tomoki: "HYA~! D-DON'T HIT ME SO HARD THERE! HAA~! YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE ME CUM!"
Girl #7: "Girl #8! This pervert is enjoying it! What should we do with him!?"
Girl #8: "Don't call me Girl #8! My name is Shiori!"
Tomoki and Rito were so focused on running away that they didn't even notice our presence. They ran past us at full speed while being chased. In a matter of seconds, we lost sight of them in the distance and could only hear their screams accompanied by the sound of countless blows.
Tomoki: "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"
Rito: "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"
Raku: "..."
Shuu: "..."
Kenichi: "Well, it looks like we won't have to worry about Tomoki for a while now."
Shuu: "Those two are real men; I'll never forget their noble sacrifices."
Raku: "Honestly, I don't know what to say anymore."
After saying those last words, we were about to resume our journey to the rooftop when suddenly a girl stood in front of us and pointed her finger at us, speaking in an authoritative manner.
???: "Hey, you guys! Running in the hallways is prohibited! It's time for you to accept your punishment, perverts! As a member of the disciplinary committee, I won't allow such a shameless act as sexual harassment to go unpunished!"