Inner Voice: All Heroines Hear My Inner Voice Chapter 5: Unreasonable regressor protagonist
Previously on Inner Voice: All Heroines Hear My Inner Voice...
Around ten minutes prior to the appearance of the second protagonist's voice.
Eiji had successfully persuaded Yui to head back to their respective homes.
Though Eiji couldn't quite grasp why the girl seemed so apprehensive about him returning home alone, she eventually relented, only asking him to take a route with more people.
Eiji gave his word.
A promise he had no intention of keeping.
On his journey home, he deliberately chose a secluded path, specifically a narrow lane cutting through a forest.
This area contained several derelict, factory-like structures, long abandoned.
Upon reaching a turn, he glanced back and posed a question: "This is a suitable location for a fight, wouldn't you agree, Yuki Rito?"
"You... How did you know?"
The voice originated from behind the factory's fence, and the boy with orange-brown hair emerged, his face etched with astonishment.
Eiji offered a smile, observing Rito's surprised yet composed demeanor upon realizing he'd been discovered following him.
Truly befitting a Regressor protagonist; he must have accumulated considerable combat experience.
If this were the Rito from the original narrative, he'd likely be stammering and nervously scratching his head.
"I actually noticed you lurking in the bushes while Yui and I were conversing by the school gate."
The shock on Rito's face vanished, replaced by a frigid expression and a murderous glint in his eyes. "Then you must understand why I've pursued you all this way, Eiji."
"Perhaps..." Eiji feigned contemplation, stroking his chin. "You wish to collaborate on homework at my residence?"
"No!"
"Perhaps you want to invite me over to sample the culinary creations of your younger sister?"
"No! We're hardly close enough for such a thing... Wait, how did you know about my little sister?"
Rito's eyes widened in bewilderment.
It was clear that the other individual had only transferred to his school that very morning, and they hadn't even exchanged words in class.
So, how could the other party possibly know about his younger sister?
Regarding his sister, Mikan, he had never once mentioned her to his classmates, as no one had ever inquired.
Therefore, why would Eiji Seiya, a new transfer student, be aware of his younger sister?
Moreover, the other person seemed to know that Mikan was consistently the one preparing meals at home!
Rito regarded the blonde boy before him with suspicion, his killing intent intensifying, believing the other party harbored sinister intentions towards him and his family from the outset.
But why?
Regardless of his uncertainty about the motive, anyone who harbored ill will towards him, especially concerning his younger sister.
That person deserved to perish!
"How would I know?" Eiji inquired with a playful grin. "What do you surmise?"
"You... Enough! Eiji Seiya, my reason for following you from the beginning was to eliminate you! How dare you entice and kiss Yui, and harbor wicked intentions towards my little sister."
"You will meet your end here!"
With those words uttered, Rito's demeanor shifted dramatically. A purple luminescence emanated from his clenched right hand.
Without further delay, he launched himself forward with astonishing speed, covering the five-meter distance to Eiji in an instant, his fist crackling with purple energy as it swung towards the other party's face!
Eiji remained unfazed, merely displaying a hint of surprise at the peculiar power wielded by Rito the Regressor.
As expected, due to his nature as a Regressor.
This Rito was demonstrably different from his original counterpart, who was essentially a normal human with no extraordinary abilities aside from luck that bordered on the supernatural.
Unlike the Rito of the original timeline, the one before him now possessed superpowers.
But so what? Superpowers? He possessed them too!
Just as Rito's purple fist was about to connect with his face, Eiji's pupils underwent a transformation. They rotated, revealing tomoe-like patterns swirling around his blue irises.
Distinct from the typical crimson Sharingan seen in the Naruto series, the Sharingan Eiji acquired through the system did not alter his eye color. Instead, it manifested as black, circular, water-droplet-like markings known as tomoe, and all three instantly activated!
This contrasted with the Uchiha clan members, who generally progressed from awakening a single tomoe when their unique ocular ability, the Sharingan, first manifested.
Eiji's Sharingan was an anomaly; he immediately leaped from a level one to level three. At this stage, his visual acuity and physical prowess were amplified manifold.
Rito's speed, which had previously been challenging for Eiji's eyes to track, now rendered Rito's fist, merely a centimeter from his face, agonizingly slow.
Eiji subtly shifted his head, evading Rito's unusual strike, and simultaneously lifted a leg to deliver a kick to Rito's abdomen.
Bang!
Boom!
The distinct sound of a stomach being struck and the concussive sound of an explosion occurred in almost perfect unison.
Rito was sent rolling and skidding for ten meters. However, the fist Eiji had dodged wasn't just glowing; it propelled a strange projectile that warped the very air, tearing a significant hole in the factory wall behind Eiji. Upon witnessing this, Eiji’s eyes widened in curiosity. A question formed in his mind: from where did this power Rito the Regressor wield originate? He couldn't help but feel a similarity between Rito's punch and the vibrating effect of Shirohige's Gura Gura no Mi power from the anime, though Rito's was clearly weaker than the old man's. Yet, the visual spectacle was almost identical, differing only in hue. While the old man's strike radiated white light, Rito's pulsed with a purple luminescence, accompanied by a similar humming sound. Rito, witnessing his attack narrowly dodged and his subsequent counterattack met with Eiji's swift kick to his midsection, was utterly bewildered. The blonde youth's ability to evade his onslaught and retaliate so effectively was beyond his comprehension. Rito acknowledged that his current strength was a mere fraction, less than 10%, of his former peak power. Nevertheless, against ordinary humans, his physical prowess and the superpowers inherited from his Void Dragon bloodline – a legacy he'd fortunately reclaimed – would have already established him as the planet's strongest. His own Void Dragon heritage was significantly diminished in its current state, necessitating a return to space to fully restore its potency. Still, he believed that facing a mere blonde boy should pose no insurmountable challenge with his present capabilities. So why? Why was there still a boy, his own age, possessing the ability to effortlessly dodge his every move? Furthermore, his stomach throbbed with pain. Judging by the force of the kick, Eiji's physical strength might actually surpass his own. Regardless, this blond youth was undoubtedly no ordinary human! Rito surmised that Eiji might be an extraterrestrial, masquerading as a human, much like certain aliens he had encountered in his past existence. "Still want to continue?" Eiji's deceptively casual inquiry struck the Galactic King, as Rito once was, as a profound insult. Rito pushed himself up from the ground, his eyes still burning with murderous intent, both hands now radiating a potent purple glow. "Certainly, but first, I need confirmation. You're not human, are you? You must be some alien race disguised as one!" "Huh? No, I'm human." "Liar! Look at your eyes; they aren't the eyes of a human!" Eiji's lips twitched. He rolled his eyes and retorted, "And what about you? Can a normal human make their hands hum and glow with purple light? That’s not a power a human should possess." "Hmph!" Rito scoffed coldly. "I'm simply unique. I am the chosen one destined to rule both the land and the starry heavens." "Don't compare me to some alien hiding its grotesque form behind a human facade!" Eiji: "...." "What? Cat got your tongue? You must be an alien! But it matters not; you will perish by my hand!" Rito launched another assault, unleashing a barrage of strikes capable of tearing through the air. Eiji, with nonchalant grace, evaded every blow. He even retaliated, striking and kicking Rito multiple times. Rito, subjected to a relentless flurry of slaps, punches, and kicks, with none of his own attacks landing, gritted his teeth. He began to roar in frustration, continuing his assault. Twenty minutes later, the purple light enveloping him flickered out, his energy depleted. He collapsed to his knees, panting. His face was visibly swollen from Eiji's repeated blows. Now, he could only gaze at the blonde boy still standing casually before him, looking down as if Rito were a mere jester. Rito was overcome with a sense of profound humiliation and seething hatred! In his previous life, dispatching the boy before him would have been as simple as crushing an ant! Yet, here he was, barely able to stand after a mere few minutes of wielding his void energy, his body overwhelmed. He felt deeply ashamed of his earlier boasts, now kneeling with a contorted, mortified expression. "Damn it, Eiji! You're cheating!" Eiji, initially relaxed and composed, erupted into laughter at the utterly absurd lament of the defeated Regressor protagonist. "Cheating? In what way am I cheating? Because I'm stronger than you? Or because I don't boast as much as you?" Rito's expression darkened with each passing second. Eiji's last remark filled him with immense embarrassment and humiliation, yet he struggled to maintain the dignified facade of the former Galactic King. It was at this precise moment that Eiji heard a voice echo within his mind, belonging to the other protagonist.The one who had intended to deliver the final blow to Rito Regressor today found himself frozen, his expression one of utter shock.
The voice he perceived was none other than the inner monologue of the protagonist from the Highschool DxD franchise! It appeared that Issei was also a protagonist of the Regressor stream, much like Rito?
Eiji furrowed his brow, a slight massage to his forehead causing the kneeling Rito to look on in confusion.
[It's just my first day transferring schools, and I already know there are two protagonists of the Regressor stream attending the same school as me?]
[Naturally, I had anticipated Issei would also enroll here; after all, he is the protagonist of Highschool DxD.]
[Since Rias is also at this school, that perverted boy must be in the same vicinity.]
[However, my guess is that this situation will mirror the canon, and Yuki Rito's status as a Regressor protagonist is merely a coincidence.]
[Unfortunately, circumstances have become even more complicated. Issei Hyudou, that protagonist, has also ascended to the role of Regressor stream protagonist? Damn it, which hack writer penned this ridiculous plot!?]
[On the bright side, I am quite overpowered now. As long as the protagonists remain in their nascent stages and have not yet attained their peak abilities].
[I remain confident in my ability to torment them like curs should they dare to provoke me.]
[The Regressor protagonist, so what? Just look at protagonist Yuki Rito, who is currently kneeling before me.]
[Though I have no idea where she acquired power that faintly resembles a fraction of Shirohige's might from One Piece.]
[Ultimately, you still grew overconfident and ended up kneeling before the time traveler, didn't you?]
After unleashing his complaints to the system and securing his spoils.
Eiji, as a matter of course, seized this chance to acquire a reward.
A delightful system notification chimed in his head, though he resolved to check it later.
For the moment, his gaze was fixed upon the protagonist Rito, kneeling and utterly devoid of the strength to resist.
Eiji briefly entertained the notion of ending Rito's life, but the system had previously decreed that prematurely eliminating a protagonist before the conclusion of their franchise's narrative would forfeit any rewards from plot complaints.
He could indeed kill the protagonist, but it would come at a significant cost in rewards.
To Eiji, rewards clearly held more value than a protagonist's life.
Furthermore, this scenario still represented the early stages of the To Love Ru franchise plot; eliminating him now would mean forfeiting a substantial harvest!
Ultimately, rather than dispatching Rito Regressor with Excalibur, a notion he almost entertained just to test it, he abandoned the idea and instead fixed the other party with a disdainful glare, his Sharingan activated.
"W-What are you going to do to me? You, you're not going to kill me, are you?" Rito stammered nervously.
"Well, what do you surmise? Haven't you been clamoring for me to kill you? If you lose, and I wish to end your life."
"Doesn't that follow logically?"
Eiji smirked, the three tomoe within his eyes began to spin.
Rito, upon witnessing this, descended into panic. While he wasn't inherently afraid of death, he certainly didn't wish to forfeit this precious second chance.
No, he could not perish here before achieving the status of the True Harem King!
Countless women awaited him in the future, destined to become his wives.
Yui, Sairenji, Lala, Momo, Nana, and so forth...
Even his little sister Mikan was forbidden to marry any man other than her own elder brother!
"No! Stop it! Eiji, you, you cannot kill me! Regarding today's events, I admit my wrongdoing; I apologize. Therefore, you mustn't...."
Before his plea could be fully uttered, his gaze, still locked onto Eiji's peculiar eyes, rolled backward.
He was suddenly enveloped in a daze as a torrent of information and imagery flooded his mind.
It might have been bearable if the content were different, but the images depicted revealed something that contorted his face and seized his heart as though an arrow had pierced it.
His eyes became vacant, tears even spontaneously welling up.
Not only that, but his head grew heavy, as if a symbolic green hat were being pressed down upon it.
What exactly did Rito witness to elicit such a profound reaction?
Only Rito and Eiji held the answer.
Eiji offered a smile, patting the shoulder of Rito, who remained kneeling in stunned silence, before departing the desolate factory grounds.
It was estimated that Rito took a full half-hour to break free from the illusion, the genjutsu conjured by Eiji's Three Tomoe Sharingan.
He felt a slight pang of regret that his current genjutsu capabilities were not yet potent enough, nor could they sustain a prolonged duration.
Had his Sharingan evolved into the Mangekyou Sharingan, he could undoubtedly have subjected Rito to the agonizing torment of NTR for several hours.
However, for the present, it sufficed; it was merely a minor admonition from him to Rito, intended to make the boy reconsider provoking him in the future.
Eiji might not have been aware of it, but during his excursion to the abandoned factory and his confrontation with Rito.The sequence of events back then was witnessed by a crow perched in a tree. This wasn't just any crow; it was, in fact, a demon bird commonly utilized as a familiar by supernatural entities, particularly devils. With his heightened senses, especially after awakening the Three Tomoe Sharingan, he was acutely aware of any gaze fixed upon him, even one originating from an animal like a bird. Yet, he remained oblivious to the fact that the crow-like bird observing him from its perch atop a nearby tree was actually the companion of someone watching the entire scene unfold from a considerable distance. This observer resided in a meticulously organized, office-like room. A petite girl with short black hair and glasses propped her chin thoughtfully on one hand. Beside her sat another girl, possessing long black hair and identical glasses, wearing the same uniform. Both had been intently observing the surveillance screen, which was linked to the demonic familiar belonging to the long-haired girl. Having concluded their observation, the two girls turned to face each other. The shorter, black-haired girl with glasses broke the silence first, her voice firm and commanding. "That transfer student, Eiji Seiya. I want him in my office tomorrow." The girl seated beside her acknowledged the order with a nod. "Understood, Kaichou. I shall escort him tomorrow." ---