Winter had arrived with a vengeance.
It had been barely a day since we blew up the tavern, why the fuck did it just start snowing!!!
I huddled deeper into my blanket—the only thing between me and hypothermia—and tried not to think about how much my life had deteriorated in the past 24 hours.
Homeless. Nearly naked. Freezing. And still in debt for 27 years.
Sarah and Amelia sat nearby, also wrapped in blankets, equally miserable.
"We need shelter," Amelia said, teeth chattering. "Logically speaking, we'll freeze to death tonight."
"Agatha won't pay for an inn," I said.
"I asked," Sarah added bitterly. "She said accommodations come out of our wages. Which we won't have for another month."
"What about your place, Amelia?" I asked hopefully.
"Absolutely not."
"Why not?!"
"Because you two VAPORIZED A TAVERN. I'm not letting you near my home. You'll probably blow it up too."
"That was an accident!"
"It was still MY home that would explode!"
"She has a point," Klaus said.
"Meh," Boris agreed.
We sat in miserable silence until footsteps approached.
Kazuto.
Of course.
He looked at us with his trademark hero expression—concern mixed with determination.
"Ladies! I heard about your situation. That's terrible!"
"We're fine," I said quickly.
"You're clearly not fine! You're homeless and freezing!" He struck a pose, coat billowing despite the lack of wind. "I have a solution! You can stay with me and my party! We have plenty of room!"
"Oh no," Masayuki said. "Oh, I know that look."
"What look?"
"He's trying to add you to his harem."
"WHAT?!"
"Classic protagonist move. See damsel in distress, offer shelter, slowly integrate into party dynamic, eventual romantic subplot. I've lived it a thousand times."
"I am NOT becoming a harem member!"
"Then decline. Firmly."
Sarah stood up, her blanket falling slightly, murder in her eyes. "Hitomi."
"Yes?"
"If you touch Kazuto," she said quietly, "I will obliterate you. Slowly. Starting with your feet."
"I WASN'T GOING TO—"
"Good." She turned to Kazuto. "She's declining your offer."
"But—"
"She's. Declining."
Kazuto looked between us, confused. "I was just trying to help..."
"We appreciate it," Amelia said diplomatically, "but we'll find our own accommodations. Thank you for the offer."
He left, looking hurt.
Sarah sat back down. "Good. Crisis averted."
"I wasn't going to accept anyway!"
"Just making sure."
"She's very territorial," Vincent observed.
"She's a yandere. It's literally in the job description."
"Meh."
Amelia stood up. "I'm going home. Good luck, you two."
"Wait—you're leaving us?!"
"I have survival instincts. You two are walking disasters. I'll see you when the tavern reopens." She hurried off into the snow.
Sarah looked at me. "...I'm also leaving."
"WHAT?!"
"I'll go stay with Kazuto." She pulled her blanket tighter. "You're on your own."
"But—"
"Don't die. Agatha would add funeral expenses to our debt."
She walked away, chasing after Kazuto.
I sat alone in the snow, wrapped in a thin blanket, my torn clothing barely covering anything, and contemplated my life choices.
"Well," Klaus said cheerfully, "at least you still have us!"
"That's not comforting."
"It wasn't meant to be."
"Meh."
I needed clothes. Proper clothes. And shelter.
The refugee camp.
I'd seen it on my way to the tavern before. Displaced people from the war, living in tents and temporary structures. They had donation centers. Shared resources.
Maybe I could blend in. Get some basic supplies.
I pulled my blanket tighter and headed east.
The refugee camp was larger than I'd expected.
Hundreds of tents spread across a field outside the city walls. Cook fires dotted the area. People huddled together for warmth. Children cried. Adults spoke in hushed, traumatized voices.
I walked in, blanket wrapped around me, and nobody questioned it.
I looked like them. Displaced. Desperate. Broken.
One of us, their eyes seemed to say.
I found the donation tent and was given a dress—simple, brown, slightly too short, but clean and whole.
"Thank you," I said to the volunteer.
"Stay safe out there," she said. "The men in this city can be vicious. Especially to women. Especially now, with the war. Be careful."
I nodded and found a private spot to change.
The dress fit, mostly. It ended mid-thigh, shorter than I'd prefer, but it was better than rags and a blanket.
"You look like easy prey," Masayuki observed.
"Thanks. Very helpful."
"I mean it practically. Short dress, young woman, alone at night. You're going to attract unwanted attention."
I paused.
Unwanted attention.
Men who would try to hurt me.
Bad men.
Criminal men.
An idea formed.
A terrible, beautiful idea.
"System," I thought carefully. "If I get cornered by a group of men in an alley at night, and they try to assault me, and I smash their faces in... that's a good deed, right?"
[System: ...]
[System: Technically, stopping violent criminals is karma-positive, yes...]
[System: Why do I feel like you're about to do something concerning?]
"Just confirming the karma rules."
A devious grin forms across her face
[System: You have 1 new message!]
[System: From: Mistress of Gender Equality - Eleanor Roosevelt]
I blinked. Eleanor Roosevelt?!!
I opened the message.
[Hello, Hitomi! I've been watching your journey with GREAT interest! As a champion of women's rights and human dignity, I must say—I LOVE what you're planning!]
[Those predators have been terrorizing women in this city for months. The guards don't care. The nobles don't care. Someone needs to do something!]
[So here's a little gift to help you along! ♪]
[System: +10,000 Karma from Eleanor Roosevelt!]
[System: Current Karma: -9,999,999,999,999,999,915,749]
[Go girl. GO. Show them what happens when they mess with the wrong woman! I'll be watching! ]
"Did... did a deity just sponsor my vigilante justice?"
[System: Apparently! Very progressive of her! ♪]
"This is the weirdest thing that's happened to me, and I've been isekai'd by a truck."
"Actually," Klaus said, "YOU were a truck."
"NOT THE POINT."
I sat by one of the campfires, listening to people share their stories.
"—the hero just laughed," an older woman was saying. "He set our village on fire because the quest said 'eliminate the goblin threat.' There were THREE goblins. He burned down fifty homes."
"The one who came to our town treated it like a game," a man added. "Kept talking about 'XP' and 'loot drops.' My son died. He called it 'friendly fire' and moved on."
"They're children playing with power," another woman said bitterly. "And we're the toys they break."
"They're not wrong," Masayuki said quietly. "Some otherworlders treat this world like a video game. No consequences. No empathy."
"Did you?"
"At first. Then I realized these were real people. Real lives." He paused. "It took losing someone I cared about to understand."
I listened to more stories. More pain. More suffering.
All caused by people like me. Otherworlders. Isekai protagonists.
I killed these people, I realized. By sending the heroes here. I'm responsible.
"You didn't know what they'd do," Vincent said gently.
"Does that matter?"
"...Probably not."
"Meh," Boris contributed.
I stayed at the camp through the day, helping where I could. Moving supplies. Comforting children. Listening.
As evening fell, I made my decision.
I couldn't fix what I'd done.
But I could do something.
I could remove bad men from the world.
One predator at a time.
Night fell over the city.
I walked the streets alone, in my short dress, looking vulnerable.
Bait.
"This is dangerous," Masayuki warned.
"I'm basically invincible compared to normal humans."
"You have Power Level 4.2. You're not invincible."
"I'm invincible ENOUGH."
"Meh," Boris said, which meant "this is going to be entertaining."
I wandered through the rougher districts. Places where the guards didn't patrol. Where women didn't walk alone.
It didn't take long.
A group of men emerged from a tavern. Five of them. Various sizes, all clearly drunk, all looking at me with expressions that made my skin crawl.
"Here we go," Klaus said.
The largest one—overweight, greasy hair, the kind of person who spent too much time online in my old world—stepped forward.
"Well, well. What's a pretty thing like you doing out here alone?"
I made my voice small. Scared. "I'm just... trying to get home..."
"Home? This late? Dangerous for a girl." He smiled. It wasn't friendly. "Why don't you come with us? We'll keep you safe."
"N-no, thank you, I should—"
Another one cut off my path. Younger, but with the same predatory look. "We're not asking, sweetheart. We're telling."
"Their energy is disgusting," Masayuki said. "I can feel their intent from here."
"Good. Makes this easier."
I backed away, playing the part. "Please, I don't want any trouble..."
"No trouble!" the fat one said. "Just a little fun. Right, boys?"
"I'd love to put my tongue down that pretty throat," one of them said, licking his lips.
"Okay, NOW you can kill them," Vincent said, disgusted.
"Way ahead of you."
I ran.
Not fast. Just fast enough to make them chase.
They followed, laughing, making comments about what they'd do when they caught me.
I led them into an alley. Dead end. Perfect.
I stopped running and turned to face them.
My scared expression melted away.
Replaced by a grin.
A despicable, devious, predatory grin.
"What the—" the fat one started.
[System: New Fighting Style Granted!]
[System: "The Nut Cracker" - Courtesy of Eleanor Roosevelt]
[System: A devastating martial art focused on eliminating male threats through targeted lower-body attacks!]
[System: Available Techniques:]
[System: - Ball Crusher (Basic)]
[System: - Nut Condemnation (Intermediate)]
[System: - Testicle Elimination (Advanced)]
[System: - Catastrophic Testicle Devastation (Ultimate)]
"What kind of fighting style...." I started.
"Don't question it," Masayuki said. "Just use it."
The men surrounded me, confused by my expression change.
"What's wrong with her?" one asked.
"Who cares? Grab her!"
The first one lunged.
I sidestepped and drove my knee upward into his lower body.
Ball Crusher.
I heard a sound like the cracking of eggs.
The impact was devastating. His eyes went wide. His face went pale. He made a sound like a deflating balloon and collapsed.
[System: Target neutralized!]
[System: Scanning criminal record...]
[System: - Sexual Assault: 12 counts]
[System: - Attempted Rape: 4 counts]
[System: - Harassment: 47 counts]
[System: +20,000 Karma!]
"WHAT THE—" another one started.
I spun and delivered a swift kick between his legs.
Nut Condemnation.
He went down harder than the first. Tears streaming down his face. Unable to even scream.
[System: Target neutralized!]
[System: - Sexual Assault: 8 counts]
[System: - Rape: 2 counts]
[System: - Human trafficking: 1 count]
[System: +20,000 Karma!]
"She's—she's doing something to them!" The third one backed away.
"GET HER!"
Two rushed me at once.
I grabbed the first by the collar, yanked him forward, and brought my fist straight down into his groin.
Testicle Elimination.
The crack was audible.
He vomited and collapsed.
[System: +20,000 Karma!]
The second one I simply kicked. Hard. Enhanced by my Yōki and Skill: Racist (he had black hair).
The combined force was... excessive.
Testicle Elimination.
He flew upward, hit the wall, and slid down, unconscious. Foam frothing from his mouth
[System: +20,000 Karma!]
The fat one—the ringleader—was trying to run.
I caught him easily, spun him around, and looked him in the eyes.
"You made a mistake tonight," I said pleasantly.
Then I drove my knee into his crotch with every ounce of my super-strength.
Ball Crusher.
He made a sound I didn't know humans could make and collapsed in a heap.
[System: Target neutralized!]
[System: - Sexual Assault: 23 counts]
[System: - Rape: 7 counts]
[System: - Attempted Murder: 2 counts]
[System: - Human trafficking: 3 counts]
[System: +20,000 Karma!]
Five men down.
All are crying or unconscious.
All completely neutralized.
I looked at my hands, confused.
"Why are they reacting so strongly?" I wondered aloud. "The style says 'lower body attacks.' I just kicked their legs area. Why is it so effective?"
"Oh, she doesn't know," Klaus said, laughing. "She genuinely doesn't know."
"Should we tell her?" Vincent asked.
"Absolutely not," Masayuki said. "This is too funny."
"Meh," Boris agreed.
[System: Total Karma Gained: +100,000!]
[System: Current Karma: -9,999,999,999,999,999,815,749]
[System: You have 1 new message!]
[YASSS QUEEN! ]
[That was AMAZING! Did you SEE their faces?! I haven't been this entertained in DECADES!]
[Keep it up! There are more predators out there! Clean up this city! I'll be watching and cheering! 💪]
[Also—your confusion about the anatomy is ADORABLE. Don't ever change! 😄]
[- Eleanor Roosevelt, Mistress of Gender Equality]
I closed the message, still confused about the "anatomy" comment.
"I just... I just kicked them in the leg area. Why did it hurt so much?"
"Human anatomy is mysterious," Masayuki said, barely containing laughter.
"Very mysterious," Vincent agreed.
"Meh."
I looked at the five incapacitated men.
100,000 karma.
From one night.
That was... that was more than weeks of tavern work.
This is efficient, I thought.
Very efficient.
[System: WARNING - Vigilante activity may have legal consequences!]
[System: ...However, Eleanor Roosevelt is backing you, so probably fine? ♪]
I left the alley, leaving the men where they lay. Someone would find them eventually.
As I walked back toward the refugee camp, I felt... good.
Not just about the karma.
About removing those men from the streets.
About protecting future victims.
"You enjoyed that," Klaus observed.
"They were criminals."
"You still enjoyed it."
"...Maybe a little."
"Murder-happy," Masayuki confirmed.
"Definitely," Vincent agreed.
"Meh," Boris said, which meant "one of us."
I made it back to the refugee camp and found a tent to sleep in. Someone had left blankets. I wrapped myself up and lay down.
[System: Current Karma: -9,999,999,999,999,999,815,749]
[System: Debt to Agatha: 600 gold (27.4 years)]
[System: New Fighting Style: The Nut Cracker]
[System: Sponsor: Eleanor Roosevelt]
[System: Status: Vigilante Justice Warrior]
"You know," Vincent said, "this might actually work. As a karma farming strategy."
"It's dangerous," Masayuki warned. "Eventually you'll run into someone stronger."
"Then I'll get stronger too."
"Meh," Boris contributed.
I closed my eyes, exhaustion taking over.
Tomorrow, the tavern reconstruction would continue.
Tomorrow, I'd go back to washing dishes.
But tonight?
Tonight I'd made a difference.
And earned 100,000 karma doing it.
Baby steps, I thought.
Very violent, anatomically-confusing baby steps.
But steps nonetheless.
[System: Sleep well, Nut Cracker! ♪]
"Please don't make that my title."
[System: Too late! Already filed with the Divine Registry! ♪]
"I hate everything."
"We know," the spirits said in unison.
"We know."
But I was smiling anyway.
Because for once, things were actually going right.
In the most violent, absurd way possible.
But right nonetheless.