["Cassy, remember this: when you see a girl, especially if she's beautiful, in danger, don't save her, just ignore her, lest she fall into your clutches."
"...(ㆆ_ㆆ)"
"Okay, don't look at me like that, I was just kidding."
"I don't know why you suddenly brought that up, but it didn't seem like a joke!"
"Little details, and this is something you should know for your own good..... look at it this way. Possibly, if a situation like that were to arise, you would probably scare her more than what is endangering her."
"Hmm... even so, isn't it wrong not to do it?"
"No, why would it be wrong? Just ignore her."
"(ㆆ_ㆆ)"
"Ahem, just kidding again... Look, if this hypothetical situation happens and you feel like you have to help her, cover your face and don't talk to him, after you finish, leave immediately. If you don't do it this way, she might get scared, and there's a chance you'll become the aggressor and get arrested."
"Well, that sounds reasonable."]
Cassian remembered Nora's reasonable advice. He recognized that her words were true, he knew it, and he had often encountered problems simply by existing.
He remembered once trying to save an old woman who stepped in front of him and was about to be hit by Truck-kun. Obviously, unlike him, she didn't do it intentionally.
So he quickly pulled her out of the way and wanted to check if she was okay, but when the old woman saw him, she had a heart attack.
Luckily, there was a doctor nearby who kept her alive. Later, he was relieved to learn that the old woman was fine.
But now, in this case, and leaving aside whether the girl was beautiful or not—since he couldn't see her—it was true that Nora had a point, which he had to pay attention to, since last time he almost killed someone.
"Hey, even with those bandages, if I look at her closely, she's pretty. Why don't you... you know... before you kill her."
"Ah! You want to commit a taboo?"
"What does it matter? We'll kill her later. If no one knows, what does it matter? I heard from an Senior who once did it with one, and it was wonderful, so much so that he regretted it a little after killing her."
He couldn't delay any longer. Things were starting to escalate and go beyond simple harassment.
Besides, the man and woman in martial artist costumes didn't seem to have any intention of getting involved.
"Really? ... Well, why not give it a try?"
"Do we do it at the same time or take turns?"
"Let's see who makes her give in first, hahaha."
"Tsk, how childish. But fine, this older brother of yours will teach you a few things."
"No!, help me!"
The men seemed determined to carry out their mission, and the woman's voice was filled with panic and desperation.
"Hey, you guys! Why don't you stop this?"
Cassian, once he covered his face with the only thing he had and thought was the most reasonable thing to take off—the top of his pajamas—moved quickly and placed his hand on the shoulder of one of the demons.
They all looked young, like Cassian, in their early twenties. All three were about 5'11", but they were still short compared to Cassian, who was 6'8" tall.
Cassian didn't go for the blows right away. If he could stop this with words, he would.
"Tsk, who's bothering us?..huh! Is that a big guy? Are those hearts? Why is he shirtless?"
"He must be from some weird, backward civilization. Besides, who cares if he's big? Hey, you, don't get involved in our business with this dove."
"Brothers, let's just beat him up. There are three of us, and he's alone in those ridiculous pants."
"..."
The three demons turned to look at him, and quickly reached a point where talking was not an option.
Haaah~... Do I have something about me that makes Men want to hit first and talk later?
Cassian sighed inwardly; he didn't understand: if he was as intimidating as they said, why did most men react by wanting to fight?
Well, he understood Nora's suitors, but what about the rest? Did he seem like someone who was not only intimidating but also beatable? It was a serious question he had had for a long time.
Haa~ well, why did I think it would end differently? ... Apparently they're triplets. I guess they're demons... at least they look like it, uhmm...
He analyzed the guys he now had to hit. Cassian realized that they really were triplets.
They were identical, but at the same time very different, to the point of being very curious. Although they all had black hair, one had red-skinned and carried a sword.
The other had very pale skin and carried a spear. And the last one had dark skin, and in his hand was a stick...
Well, besides how curious they were, Cassian wondered if they were the real deal or just three cosplay enthusiasts who did an excellent job.
"~Wait!, yes, they're real. That means that—"
"What are you muttering, idiot?! Just die!"
The red-skinned demon seemed unable to endure Cassian's presence any longer, so he was the first to attack.
Thud!
"Wait a moment, I'm thinking of something..."
But his sword was easily stopped by Cassian with one hand, using only his fingers to hold it—without even touching the blade.
Still, Cassian paid no attention to his own incredible feat; instead, his thoughts drifted toward something he had just realized.
"Huh? What happened?"
"Uhmm..."
He ignored the demon's confusion. He was seriously thinking about his current situation; after all, those guys obviously didn't exist in his world.
The same could be said for the beasts, and if he thought about it... if that crack was the same thing that brought the beasts and he crossed it, did that mean he was in another world?
He really didn't know why he hadn't thought of that before... Wasn't that basically what he had been looking for all this time?
"Hmm... but it could very well be a world like mine, so it wouldn't do any good, but that appearance, hmmm..."
Cassian now entered into an internal debate about his situation. He was having a hard time understanding the extent of his situation and how much it aligned with what he had always sought.
"Damn it! What is this? Why can't I move the sword? How strong is this guy?"
"Brother, wait a minute. Globus Ignis, die, bastard!"
Cassian finally snapped out of his thoughts because something caught his attention. He felt the heat coming toward him, and when he looked to see what it was, he was impressed by the attack directed at him.
But he didn't take the full brunt of it; with his other free hand, he stopped what was coming at him.
Bang!
He felt a burning sensation for a moment and looked at his hand. It certainly felt hot and hurt a little.
"Oh!!! That was a fireball. So it's also a world of magic, well, that's good!..."
It was a genuine fireball that came out of the guy with a wand.
It was magic, definitive proof that he was in a world similar to what he had always wanted.
"Shit! What is this!? Why is it so strong? No one is supposed to have started climbing Varnorr yet. Did he already eat a fruit? Damn it! Big brother..."
Quickly, from the side, the other guy holding the spear ran toward him, gaining momentum and speed.
Cassian was amazed. That guy ran like the best Olympic athlete, even faster. He himself didn't know if he could run that fast.
"Die, Gae Absolus!"
And the demon's attack came just as fast.
"!!!"
Cassian had trouble understanding the speed of that attack, until the warning came and he felt everything slow down again and his body reacted.
Without letting go of the first demon's sword, he leaned back and dodged the spear that was heading bloodthirstily toward his head.
He saw the spear pass in front of his eyes, and in that brief moment, he grabbed the spear's handle, as the tip had something that made his instincts strongly warn him not to even try to stop it like the sword.
Thump!
And not only that: his body not only dodged reflexively, but immediately contracted and kicked the guy, as that spear seemed very dangerous, instinctively.
He sent him flying several meters backward, finally crashing into the wall.
"Shit, I didn't hold back!"
Cassian worried for a moment. He had been hitting beasts without holding back, so he hadn't readjusted the level at which he used to hit, resulting in that scene.
"Brother!"
"Little brother! Damn you! You'll pay for this, Sanctum of Abso—agh!"
Cassian couldn't see what had happened to the demon, or if he had accidentally killed it, because the first one—which curiously refused to let go of his sword—caused the warning to activate again.
Thump!
Again, by reflex, his body moved, released the sword, and, stepping forward, punched the demon in the face. Apparently, this was his automatic response to danger.
It wasn't entirely unusual; some people, when faced with a sudden scare or danger, lash out. Only Cassian was precise, even if it was an unconscious reaction.
"..."
Cassian stared, not understanding the result of his actions. Those blows definitely carried force, the same force with which he had killed many beasts before.
But this was his first time killing another sentient being. The weight of his actions overwhelmed him for a moment. No, he didn't know what to think.
Maybe he shouldn't have interfered in the first place. He shouldn't have gotten involved where he didn't belong. At least he thought his actions were too excessive, and now he entered into an internal debate about what...
"ghh!"
"Haa... a..."
"Uff, they're alive. I was worried for a moment."
Apparently, it was a false alarm. They weren't dead. Now he didn't have to think about what it meant to take a life.
The one with the spear was moaning in pain, while the one with the sword, although his face was a mess, seemed to still be breathing.
It seems like it really is another world. That means that at least here I'm not weird...
This was a good sign. If a person could withstand a blow from him with that intensity, it meant that he wasn't so weird here and confirmed that...
"Y-you, monster! What did you do to my brothers? They were the best talents in our kingdom, and you... you, monster!"
"..." Damn, here too...
No, apparently he was a monster here too. But at least he thought he wasn't an incomprehensible monster.
Anyone who could withstand one of those blows was halfway to being a monster in his world, so they weren't that far from him.
Besides, they looked young. Maybe there would be stronger people, and he wouldn't be so strange.
"I will take revenge! Taste my skill, for which my family is feared! Take this, jade poison!"
"uggh!"
The wizard - or what Cassian assumed to be a wizard - began to conjure something, and suddenly, behind him, the shadow of a giant snake was cast, something that disturbed Cassian, who did not expect his worst enemy to appear.